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Written Question
Paternity Leave
Thursday 22nd September 2022

Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Stamford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reforming the provision of statutory paternity leave.

Answered by Dean Russell

Our Paternity Leave entitlement enables eligible employed fathers to take two weeks of paid leave within the first eight weeks following the birth or adoption placement. Eligible employed fathers also have other entitlements to balance work with childcare, including paid annual leave, unpaid parental leave and the right to request flexible working.

Shared Parental Leave allows eligible parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay in the first year.

As set out in our Manifesto, we are committed to making it easier for fathers to take Paternity Leave. In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Fraud
Tuesday 15th September 2020

Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Stamford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the potential benefits to SMEs of codifying the legal doctrine of passing off.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Passing off is a well-established principle in common law and is used to protect businesses (including SMEs) who operate in the UK against other businesses misrepresenting themselves to the public as that first business. It is often seen as a flexible and entirely appropriate mechanism to deal with unregistered trade mark infringement. The Government has not made any specific assessment of the potential benefits to SMEs of codifying the legal doctrine of passing off.

Owners of registered and unregistered trade marks, in particular SMEs have various affordable avenues to address trade mark infringement, including passing off claims. These avenues include the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court which includes a small claims track specifically designed to help SMEs address IP disputes in a more affordable way. SMEs may also take advantage of the IP Pro Bono initiative and mediation services, including the mediation service offered by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Full guidance for SMEs on how to address IP infringement, including affordable access to justice is available at the IPO’s website (www.ipo.gov.uk).


Written Question
Small Businesses: Competition
Monday 14th September 2020

Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Stamford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the potential benefits to SMEs of creating unfair competition legislation similar to the German Unfair Competition Act of 2004 or the US Trademark Dilution Revision Act 2006.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Government is committed to tackling unfair business practices and keeps competition law under constant review to ensure that it is as effective as possible in protecting the interests of consumers and businesses.