Oral Answers to Questions

Angela Crawley Excerpts
Thursday 14th March 2019

(5 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kelly Tolhurst Portrait Kelly Tolhurst
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No. We want to encourage further take-up. Currently, the take-up is between 2% and 8%, which is in line with our prediction. A figure of 80% is a good start, but I want to see more mothers and more fathers taking advantage of this shared parental leave policy.

Angela Crawley Portrait Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) (SNP)
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With take-up of shared parental leave at 2%, it is clearly not working for families across the UK. If we are serious about closing the gender pay gap and tackling maternity discrimination, the Government must increase statutory paid leave for new fathers. Will the Minister confirm that as part of her ongoing review, she will consider extending statutory paid leave to four weeks, to incentivise fathers to take it up?

Kelly Tolhurst Portrait Kelly Tolhurst
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In reality, we are looking for a wider culture change. Other countries that implemented such schemes decades ago are still working to increase take-up of shared parental leave. We are committed to looking at what the barriers are, and at why people are not taking up such schemes. When we have that evidence base, we will tweak our policies to ensure that more people are able to take up those schemes.