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Written Question
Maternity Leave
Friday 12th September 2025

Asked by: Baroness Penn (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average length of maternity leave broken down by income decile.

Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have not made a direct estimate of the average length of Maternity Leave broken down by income decile. The 2019 Parental Rights Survey asked mothers the total number of weeks of paid or unpaid maternity leave that they took (or planned to take) broken down by household income bands. This data is available in Table 30 of the mothers data tables here - https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/resource/parental-rights-survey-2019.

In addition, the most recent HMRC statutory payments data was released as part of the Parental Leave review. This information is published here - https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/parental-leave-and-pay-review-call-for-evidence - and includes a breakdown of individuals receiving Statutory Maternity Pay by income decile (Table 15) and separately by the number of months the payment spanned (Table 21).


Written Question
Paternity Pay
Friday 6th June 2025

Asked by: Baroness Penn (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 21 May (HL7259), when they last made an estimate of the cost of making Statutory Paternity Pay applicable from the first day of employment, and what that estimate was.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

This Government has not made an estimate of the cost of making Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay available to the self-employed or of making Statutory Paternity Pay available from the first day of employment. This Government has committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports all working families. We will publish cost estimates of any policy options being taken forward following the Review.


Written Question
Paternity Leave and Paternity Pay: Self-employed
Friday 6th June 2025

Asked by: Baroness Penn (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of making statutory paternity leave and pay available to the self-employed.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

This Government has not made an estimate of the cost of making Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay available to the self-employed or of making Statutory Paternity Pay available from the first day of employment. This Government has committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports all working families. We will publish cost estimates of any policy options being taken forward following the Review.


Written Question
Paternity Pay
Wednesday 21st May 2025

Asked by: Baroness Penn (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of making statutory paternity pay applicable from the first day of employment.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

The Government has not made a recent estimate of the cost of making Statutory Paternity Pay available from the first day of employment.

However, we have committed to a review of the parental leave system as a whole to ensure that it best supports all working families. Planning work is already underway.


Written Question
Conditions of Employment: Families
Wednesday 26th March 2025

Asked by: Baroness Penn (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what responses they received to questions on transparency and large employers publishing their family-related leave and pay policies following their consultation on the ‘Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families’; and how have they responded to the outcomes of the consultation regarding these questions.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

The consultation on publication of parental leave and pay policies was undertaken by the previous government.

This government is committed to supporting working families. The Employment Rights Bill will make the right to request flexible working the default, make Paternity and Parental Leave Day one rights, and will require large employers to produce equality action plans, amongst other measures.

As a result, we do not believe that requiring businesses to publish their family-related leave and pay policies is necessary at this time.