To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of improved paternity leave and pay on families expecting a child.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of improved paternity leave and pay on families expecting a child.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the rate and duration of statutory paternity leave and pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the rate and duration of statutory paternity leave and pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing an equivalent paid paternity entitlement to self-employed fathers and partners who are not eligible for Statutory Paternity Pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing an equivalent paid paternity entitlement to self-employed fathers and partners who are not eligible for Statutory Paternity Pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the rate of Statutory Paternity Pay on (a) take-up of paternity leave and (b) the amount of paternity leave taken by eligible fathers and partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the rate of Statutory Paternity Pay on (a) take-up of paternity leave and (b) the amount of paternity leave taken by eligible fathers and partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will make it his policy to (a) increase the statutory entitlement to paternity leave to at least six weeks and (b) to pay that leave at 90 percent of average weekly earnings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will make it his policy to (a) increase the statutory entitlement to paternity leave to at least six weeks and (b) to pay that leave at 90 percent of average weekly earnings.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the rate of Statutory Paternity Pay on household financial resilience.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the rate of Statutory Paternity Pay on household financial resilience.

Parents should be able, without undue financial pressure, to spend time off work in their child’s vital early months. Our review of parental leave and pay, which is due to report early in the new year, is considering how working families can best be supported, including through statutory paternity pay.

Parents should be able, without undue financial pressure, to spend time off work in their child’s vital early months. Our review of parental leave and pay, which is due to report early in the new year, is considering how working families can best be supported, including through statutory paternity pay.

My constituent got in touch with me after she had had an emergency caesarean section with twins. It was a traumatic experience. Her husband had to go back to work when she had been out of hospital for only a week. Does the Minister agree that this is not how we should be looking after parents in a civilised society, and that both the mother and the father in that situation would have been better served by longer periods of paid leave?

My constituent got in touch with me after she had had an emergency caesarean section with twins. It was a traumatic experience. Her husband had to go back to work when she had been out of hospital for only a week. Does the Minister agree that this is not how we should be looking after parents in a civilised society, and that both the mother and the father in that situation would have been better served by longer periods of paid leave?

I am concerned to hear about that experience. The Government recognise the vital role of fathers in supporting mothers and new-born children, particularly after difficult births, such as the one to which my hon. Friend has referred. Our parental leave and pay system is complicated. The review that is under way is looking at how paternity leave and pay and all the current entitlements are supporting working families. Across Government, families’ experiences, such as the one that she has brought to the House, are informing our future policy.

I am concerned to hear about that experience. The Government recognise the vital role of fathers in supporting mothers and new-born children, particularly after difficult births, such as the one to which my hon. Friend has referred. Our parental leave and pay system is complicated. The review that is under way is looking at how paternity leave and pay and all the current entitlements are supporting working families. Across Government, families’ experiences, such as the one that she has brought to the House, are informing our future policy.

Statutory paternity pay and paternity leave are important things for the Government to be looking at, and I support them in what they are seeking to achieve. In the investigation that the Minister is undertaking, will he look carefully at the status of those who are self-employed? One in four people in the workforce in Westmorland and Lonsdale works for themselves, including the 1,600 people who farm. It is so important that those families too are protected, is it not? How will the brief be extended to ensure that those who work for themselves, or indeed for small employers, are protected too?

Statutory paternity pay and paternity leave are important things for the Government to be looking at, and I support them in what they are seeking to achieve. In the investigation that the Minister is undertaking, will he look carefully at the status of those who are self-employed? One in four people in the workforce in Westmorland and Lonsdale works for themselves, including the 1,600 people who farm. It is so important that those families too are protected, is it not? How will the brief be extended to ensure that those who work for themselves, or indeed for small employers, are protected too?

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I am pleased to be able to confirm to him that self-employed parents are explicitly covered in the terms of reference of the current review.

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I am pleased to be able to confirm to him that self-employed parents are explicitly covered in the terms of reference of the current review.

The Government are undertaking a review of parental leave and pay, which presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system and whether the support available meets the needs of modern working families, including the self-employed. The review will conclude in early 2027 with a set of findings in which the Government will outline next steps for taking any potential reforms forward to implementation.

The Government are undertaking a review of parental leave and pay, which presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system and whether the support available meets the needs of modern working families, including the self-employed. The review will conclude in early 2027 with a set of findings in which the Government will outline next steps for taking any potential reforms forward to implementation.

My Lords, why do the Government need another review to tell us what is obvious: that excluding nearly one in four fathers from our system of paternity pay is unfair and needs fixing? Becoming a new father can be stressful and expensive, as well as wonderful and joyous. But if the Government are committed to supporting families now with the cost of living, can the Minister commit to closing this loophole in 2026, not in another year’s time?

My Lords, why do the Government need another review to tell us what is obvious: that excluding nearly one in four fathers from our system of paternity pay is unfair and needs fixing? Becoming a new father can be stressful and expensive, as well as wonderful and joyous. But if the Government are committed to supporting families now with the cost of living, can the Minister commit to closing this loophole in 2026, not in another year’s time?

I thank the noble Baroness for her advocacy for the importance of paternity leave and parental rights. We have already delivered real change through the Employment Rights Act. On 6 April, paternity leave and unpaid parental leave became day-one rights. Alongside these changes, we are undertaking this comprehensive review of the system to consider whether further reforms are required. We have engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, alongside evaluating other sources of evidence. We have received almost 1,500 responses to the call for evidence, and it is important that we consider these carefully before deciding what further reforms are required.

I thank the noble Baroness for her advocacy for the importance of paternity leave and parental rights. We have already delivered real change through the Employment Rights Act. On 6 April, paternity leave and unpaid parental leave became day-one rights. Alongside these changes, we are undertaking this comprehensive review of the system to consider whether further reforms are required. We have engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, alongside evaluating other sources of evidence. We have received almost 1,500 responses to the call for evidence, and it is important that we consider these carefully before deciding what further reforms are required.

My Lords, we thank the noble Baroness, Lady Penn, for bringing this question up; it is really important. However, it is not just about rights that do not exist; current rights and their take-up is also a really important issue, and I hope the review will look at that. According to the 2025 Unison parental leave survey, there was an 86.3% uptake of maternal leave but only a 31.8% uptake of paternal leave. Paternal

leave is just as important—in fact, even more important—because fathers are an important influence. Will the review look at the take-up of existing rights, as well as developing rights of the sort the noble Baroness, Lady Penn, talked about?

My Lords, we thank the noble Baroness, Lady Penn, for bringing this question up; it is really important. However, it is not just about rights that do not exist; current rights and their take-up is also a really important issue, and I hope the review will look at that. According to the 2025 Unison parental leave survey, there was an 86.3% uptake of maternal leave but only a 31.8% uptake of paternal leave. Paternal

leave is just as important—in fact, even more important—because fathers are an important influence. Will the review look at the take-up of existing rights, as well as developing rights of the sort the noble Baroness, Lady Penn, talked about?

The noble Lord is right to draw attention to the importance of fathers and mothers, the whole family unit and kinship carers in nurturing families, and the role of families in our communities. The review is wide-ranging. It is considering all existing entitlements and is looking at the implications for economic growth, labour market participation, maternal health and the best start in life. I am sure it will also look at the uptake of existing measures as well as potential extensions to entitlements, on top of what is already in place.

The noble Lord is right to draw attention to the importance of fathers and mothers, the whole family unit and kinship carers in nurturing families, and the role of families in our communities. The review is wide-ranging. It is considering all existing entitlements and is looking at the implications for economic growth, labour market participation, maternal health and the best start in life. I am sure it will also look at the uptake of existing measures as well as potential extensions to entitlements, on top of what is already in place.

My Lords, it is nearly a year since the Women and Equalities Committee recommended the introduction of a paternal allowance for self-employed working fathers and other parents, similar to the maternity allowance for self-employed mothers. The committee also said that the lack of any provision for self-employed working dads was “deeply unfair”. Do the Government agree?

My Lords, it is nearly a year since the Women and Equalities Committee recommended the introduction of a paternal allowance for self-employed working fathers and other parents, similar to the maternity allowance for self-employed mothers. The committee also said that the lack of any provision for self-employed working dads was “deeply unfair”. Do the Government agree?

The Government agree that more can be done to improve the system. The review is looking at the extension of entitlement to potential support for self-employed fathers as well as others in this quite complex system. We are looking at how we can take that forward. The review will conclude early in 2027 with findings and the next steps for reform.

The Government agree that more can be done to improve the system. The review is looking at the extension of entitlement to potential support for self-employed fathers as well as others in this quite complex system. We are looking at how we can take that forward. The review will conclude early in 2027 with findings and the next steps for reform.

My Lords, the Minister is of course right that there are complexities, and the review will have to look at all of those. However, there is the very uncomplex issue of the right of self-employed men to some sort of paternity leave. It would be reassuring to know that the Government recognise that this is an issue of principle that they must deal with, alongside the many other issues.

My Lords, the Minister is of course right that there are complexities, and the review will have to look at all of those. However, there is the very uncomplex issue of the right of self-employed men to some sort of paternity leave. It would be reassuring to know that the Government recognise that this is an issue of principle that they must deal with, alongside the many other issues.

We are clear in the terms of reference for the review that it considers the needs of self-employed parents, including fathers and partners. We agree that more can be done to improve the system. We are taking evidence, looking at international comparisons and looking to build on what we have already done. For example, we are bringing 32,000 parents into scope for paternity leave and around 1.5 million for unpaid parental leave as a consequence of the Employment Rights Act.

We are clear in the terms of reference for the review that it considers the needs of self-employed parents, including fathers and partners. We agree that more can be done to improve the system. We are taking evidence, looking at international comparisons and looking to build on what we have already done. For example, we are bringing 32,000 parents into scope for paternity leave and around 1.5 million for unpaid parental leave as a consequence of the Employment Rights Act.