Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay Debate

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Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay

Christine Jardine Excerpts
Monday 27th October 2025

(1 day, 21 hours ago)

Westminster Hall
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Jacob Collier Portrait Jacob Collier
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I agree. The day one rights that the Government will introduce will be helpful in the context that my hon. Friend sets out. Ministers have rightly said that they want to remove the barriers that discourage people from having the children that they would like to, and parental leave and pay are at the centre of that effort. If families feel that taking leave means that they cannot get by, they will delay decisions. We know that the support needs to be in place so that they can make those choices freely. Changing the system is therefore about supporting families and maternal health and sustaining a strong economy that is built on fairness and security.

Christine Jardine Portrait Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD)
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This is a valuable and important debate. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that as well as having new policies, we have to know that they are being implemented properly and fairly, and that therefore it will be necessary to require large employers to publish their policies and data in the same way that they have for gender pay? [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]