Josh MacAlister

Foster carers provide an incredibly important role and the Government is keen to support any employees providing foster care. Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period. This will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring outside of their employment. In addition, foster carers may apply for flexible working when settling a new child into their home.

The Department for Business and Trade allows foster carers to take paid special leave for both training and to settle a new foster child into their home. Employees also have the statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment.

DBT has an Employee Assistance Programme which provides impartial and confidential advice, counselling and online resources for all employees. The department also has dedicated parents’ network who provide advice and support to working parents.

Arms length bodies have their own individual policies and procedures relating to foster carers.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does offer our employees who are foster carers flexible working but not paid time off for training or settling a new child into their home. The Department provides a strong offer to all staff with respect to annual leave and hybrid working, as well as flexibility around taking unpaid time off, along with employee wellbeing support through the 24/7 service of our Employee Assistance Programme.

DESNZ public bodies similarly exercise a range of flexible working policies that can support staff with caring and other responsibilities.

The Department is supporting the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL)’s work to extract americium from the UK’s civil separated plutonium inventory at Sellafield for the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) ENDURE Programme. This includes supporting UKNNL and the UK Space Agency in the development of a new facility which aims to upscale americium extraction to meet future ESA demand.

The Government published its Strategic Review of the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) establishing a bold vision for its future (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6762a4b1ff2c870561bde75b/strategic-review-of-the-national-nuclear-laboratory.pdf). This is a vision of UKNNL as a platform for the private sector to accelerate technology to market. Much of the strategic review focuses on how the Government supports UKNNL in this, and considers issues ranging from UKNNL objectives through to the requirement for core government funding. The Government is now working with UKNNL, and industry, on implementing the findings. Industry were extensively consulted on the strategic review, and we are continuing to engage with them.

Whilst UKNNL will remain a public corporation, it will operate a commercially driven model which supports customer-focused research. The optimal long-term model of the laboratory remains under consideration to ensure UKNNL can deliver nuclear outcomes for government, and support sector growth.

Great British Nuclear (GBN), the Government’s nuclear delivery body, is pushing forward with the small modular reactor competition – at the Autumn Budget it was confirmed GBN had entered negotiations with the four remaining bidders, with final decisions expected in the spring. In parallel, the government is continuing to consider responses to the Alternative Routes to Market consultation for Advanced Nuclear Technologies and will publish a factual response in due course. The Government is the majority shareholder in Sizewell C, and the Budget provided £2.7bn of funding to continue supporting the project's development in 2025/26.

Through the Warm Homes Plan, we will invest an extra £6.6 billion over the next five years in clean heat and energy efficiency, upgrading five million homes through solutions like low carbon heating and improved insulation. We will set out the full details of our Warm Homes Plan, and the approach to Net Zero Buildings more broadly, after the completion of the Spending Review Process.

There is no central cross-government wide policy for foster care leave.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) does offer employees who are foster carers flexible working, but not paid time off for training or settling a new child into their home. My Department provides a strong offer to all staff with respect to annual leave and hybrid working, as well as flexibility around taking unpaid time off, along with employee wellbeing support through the 24/7 service of our Employee Assistance Programme.

DSIT public bodies similarly exercise a range of flexible working policies that can support staff with caring and other responsibilities.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a number of policies which support employees who are foster carers and, subject to line manager approval, include:

• A dedicated fostering employee policy where employees may be granted 5 days paid leave and up to 15 days unpaid leave. This overall entitlement can be taken as followed:

• Up to 5 days paid leave during assessment for approval processes;

• Up to 5 days unpaid leave during the approval process or when a child is in placement (including training and settling in);

• Up to 10 days unpaid leave at the start of a planned permanent placement.

• Note: staff who are fostering to adopt also have a statutory right to request up to 5 days paid special leave to attend pre-adoption appointments.

• Flexible Working arrangements, such as flexi-time or compressed hours. All employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees have a statutory right to make two flexible working requests in a 12 month period.

• Unpaid and/or paid special leave, including 5 days paid leave for both a domestic emergency and for emergency dependent leave.

Our arm’s length bodies are independent employers and are responsible for implementing their own internal employee policies for foster carers, in addition to the statutory right for employees who meet qualifying criteria to request flexible working arrangements and emergency leave related to a dependent.

Employees at the department have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period and this will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring.

The department also provides employees who are foster carers with time off, paid and unpaid, for a variety of reasons relating to their fostering role, including to settle a child into their home or for training. This is in addition to any statutory right to time off to care for family and dependants.

Other support available within the department includes access to an Employee Assistance Programme, staff networks, the ability to request flexible working on an informal basis and Mental Health First Aiders.

​Information on the support provided by the department’s arms-length bodies can be found in the attachment.

Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period. This will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring outside of their employment. In addition, foster carers may apply for flexible working when settling a new child into their home.

We do not have a policy which explicitly covers paid time off for foster carers for (A) training and/or (B) settling a new child into their home. Employees are able to take annual and flexi leave (if eligible) as required and request flexible working. In addition to the statutory right to reasonable unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant, and the statutory right to 5 days unpaid leave for those with caring responsibilities, the Department and its arm’s length bodies offer

• an additional 5 days’ off as paid leave for carers (with the exception of the Environment Agency)
• an additional 5 days’ off as paid leave for those with dependents

If the fostering arrangement leads to Adoption (Fostering to Adopt), both Adoption Leave and Parental Leave may be applied for.

Other Support

Parental Network: Defra’s Parental Network is a staff-led, informal group. It provides support and information for want-to-be, soon-to-be and current parents, as well as line managers or those supporting parents as part of their role.

Carers Network: The Defra Carers’ Network is a staff-led group providing support for carers who work at Defra. A carer is anyone who cares for a friend or family member who, because of an illness, a disability, a mental health problem, or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.

In his role as Justifying Authority for nuclear energy, the Secretary of State can consider a broad class or type of practice under Regulation 12 of the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004. A determination to justify a broad class or type of practice would assume that all potential nuclear reactor designs in scope of that class or type of practice would result in a similar balance of benefits and detriments. Where there is sufficient evidence to make such an assessment, the Justifying Authority remains open to the possibility of accommodating a broader range of designs in a class or type of practice when assessing justification applications.

The Department for Transport does not have a specific policy to support foster carers (except where staff are fostering to adopt and may be eligible for adoption leave). It has policies to support carers, including parental leave, paid and unpaid special leave, and flexible working, which will support employees who are fostering children. This applies to the department and executive agencies.

East West Rail, High Speed Rail 2, and London and Continental Rail (which are Arms Length Bodies sponsored by DfT) have policies specifically allowing paid leave for settling fostered children. Other Arms Length Bodies apply policies to support carers in a similar way to DfT.

Average number of employees: 1,229.

Average number of Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs): 3,080.

Insurance premiums within the MCA cover all employees and CROs as applicable. Insurance premiums are not split by business activity.

All employees of DWP, including foster carers, have access to flexi time and can exercise their legal right to request other kinds of flexible working. Specific provision exists for foster carers to have paid time off for their initial assessment, training or attendance at formal meetings. Once approved as a foster carer, specific provision also exists for paid time off to deal with emergencies and for ongoing training and further formal meetings. In addition, any foster carer may apply for time off under provisions that are not restricted to foster care, such as paid compassionate leave. Other support provided for all employees is available for foster carers to use, such as professional advice and counselling from our employee assistance service.

For Arms-Length Bodies in scope there are different mechanisms in place for supporting their employees. These details are provided below:

• The Pensions Regulator (TPR) ‘s adoption policy allows those members of staff who are fostering with the intention to adopt to get paid time off for settling a new child into their home as well as for five introductory adoption meetings. Those who are fostering without the intention to adopt have the statutory right to apply for flexible working along with all employees. While TPR does not offer specific training or support for those members of staff who are foster carers, their Employee Assistance Programme offers general support to them as they go through the process and beyond.

• The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) does not currently have a specific Foster Policy, but all employees can request flexible working arrangements and take carers or dependency leave as outlined in its Flexible Working and Family Leave policies. While MaPS' policies align with statutory provision, it prioritises and expedites requests to ensure timely support for colleagues who receive requests for placements at very short notice. It is committed to supporting colleagues through options like paid leave, special paid leave, or unpaid leave, as agreed with line managers.

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not have a specific policy that covers employees who are foster carers. All their employees can apply for flexible working, and they offer hybrid working. HSE advises line managers of employees who are foster carers, to look sympathetically at any request for paid time off using our special leave policy.

• The Pensions Ombudsman have not been advised by any current employees that they are foster carers. They do not have an explicit reference in their policies regarding special leave as it relates to foster care but do have good mechanisms to demonstrate flexibility around dependents and care needs.

Integrated care boards are responsible for providing mental health services to meet the needs of their local populations.

As part of our plan for change, we will reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

We are working with NHS England to transform mental health services, shift care from hospitals to local communities and increase access to support for people across the country, including rural areas.

The Department is keen to encourage employees to become foster carers, and to support those already providing foster care or care for their family and friends by providing time off where necessary. Fostering related leave, which forms part of our special leave provision, can be planned or unplanned, and may be paid or unpaid, and our current provision is as follows:

• leave during an assessment for approval, specifically discretionary special paid leave for up to five days in a 12-month period, which can be taken in whole or half days;
• additional leave during the approval process or when child is in placement, comprising of an additional five days of paid or unpaid leave in a 12-month period at a line manager’s discretion, for example, for meetings, training, unforeseen emergencies relating to their fostering role, and to accommodate an emergency placement, among other reasons; and
• additional leave at the start of a planned permanent placement, which is additional discretionary special paid leave for up to 10 days in a 12-month period. If both parents are employed, one parent would receive up to 10 days and the other up to five days.

In addition, foster carers are also entitled to the same statutory and departmental dependents and carers related leave provisions as for all other employees with caring responsibilities. These being:

• three days of paid emergency carers leave over a rolling one-year period, with discretion to allow paid leave up to a maximum of five days;
• emergency leave for dependants that provides one day of special leave to allow an employee to attend hospital when a dependant is admitted to accident and emergency;
• the statutory right to take up to a week’s unpaid leave in any 12-month period to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need, with the leave being able to be taken in half days, full days, or as consecutive days;
• paid bereavement leave of up to five days, which can be granted to an employee following the death of a dependent, although there is a limit of five days for this type of leave, there is discretion to exceed this limit where circumstances are particularly traumatic, for example the death of a child; and
• a carer’s passport, to enable a carer and their manager to document the flexibilities needed to support the carer in combining caring and work.

All employees, regardless of caring responsibilities, are entitled to the same flexible working provisions. While flexible working is discretionary and isn't an automatic right, such arrangements provide employees with some degree of flexibility over how, where, and when they work. Some frequently used arrangements are outlined below, although this list is not exhaustive:

• part-time, for those contracted to work fewer hours than standard full-time hours;
• compressed hours, which are standard working hours covered in fewer working days;
• job sharing, an arrangement where a job is split between two;
• part-year or term time working, where employees work fewer than 365 days per year and have contractual periods of attendance and non-attendance, for example, a set period of non-attendance for school holidays; and
• flexi-time system, which allows employees using the Department's flexi-time system to vary their start and finish times, vary the time and length of their lunch break, and take time off.

Foster carers working at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Food Standards Agency have access to flexible working arrangements, paid time off, and additional support for training and settling a new child into their home.

All employees at NHS England, the NHS Business Services Authority, the Health Research Authority, the Care Quality Commission, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, NHS Resolution, the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and the UK Health and Security Agency have access to flexible working. These arm’s length bodies have no specific provisions for foster carers, but rather access to general carers and special leave policies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellent, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, NHS Resolutions, the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and the UK Health and Security Agency work with foster carers on a case-by-case basis to accommodate reasonable requests. The Human Tissue Authority does not have any specific provisions for foster carers.

In late 2020, NHS England launched a series of public consultations seeking views on proposals to amend the responsibilities for the prescribing, supply, and administration of medicines for the following professionals:

• dental hygienists and dental therapists;
• biomedical scientists, clinical scientists, and operating department practitioners;
• podiatrists and physiotherapists; and
• paramedics.

This work was undertaken as part of the Chief Professions Officers’ Medicines Mechanisms (CPOMM) programme. The Department is working with NHS England to consider the CPOMM’s consultations and progress the extension of responsibilities to supply, administer, or prescribe medicines under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs 2012) to regulated healthcare professionals, where a clear need and benefits have been identified.

For example, the Department recently completed work to amend the HMRs 2012 to allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer specified medicines via exemptions, and pharmacy technicians to use Patient Group Directions. This legislation came into force in late June 2024. The Department will review priorities for progressing work in the CPOMM programme.

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) used by patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe and have been caused by limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints to produce volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.

We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply whilst stocks are limited.

The Department has also been working hard with industry to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are also impacting countries throughout Europe. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available. We are working to resolve the remaining issues impacting some strengths of methylphenidate. This includes asking suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term.

The Department has worked with specialist clinicians to develop management advice for clinicians which includes consideration to prescribe available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets. We have widely disseminated our communications and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping to ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients.

Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period. This will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring outside of their employment. In addition, foster carers may apply for flexible working when settling a new child into their home. Foster carers can also receive an additional 5 days of paid or unpaid leave in a 12-month period at the discretion of their line manager. This leave can be used for meetings, training, unforeseen emergencies related to their fostering role, or to accommodate emergency placement. At the start of a planned permanent placement, foster carers can receive up to 10 days of discretionary special paid leave in a 12-month period. If both parents are employed, one parent would receive up to 10 days and the other up to 5 days. Foster carers are also eligible to claim pre-school and school-age child support for childcare. These provisions are designed to support foster carers in balancing their professional responsibilities with their fostering duties. Employees also have a statutory right to take unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant.

The build of the Croasdale Extended Area Services (EAS) mast was completed in November 2023. Since then work has been underway to complete power and network connections to the mast, and it is now envisaged that all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), as part of the Shared Rural Network programme, will be able to activate their services by end of July 2025.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Main Top Level Budget areas offer flexible working to all employees (role permitting), and legislation provides a day-one right to submit a request for flexible working.

Foster Carer’s Leave is available, including up to five days Special Paid Leave (SPL) during assessment for approval as a foster carer; up to five days SPL during the approval process or when the child is in placement, and up to 10 days SPL at the start of a planned permanent placement. If both parents are employed by the MOD, then one can receive 10 days and other a maximum of five days.

Other support (beyond flexible working and Foster’s Carer’s Leave) available to foster carers comes in the form of family leave, other categories of special leave and pastoral provision, such as from line-management, networks and the Employee Assistance Programme.

Paid time off for training and developmental activity is available when it is undertaken in the course of benefiting a MOD role.

For those Arm’s Length Bodies that employ public servants, responsibility for their human resources policies is delegated to the organisation and it has not been possible to confirm each organisation’s policy regarding foster carers in the time available for a Parliamentary Question.

At MHCLG:

(i) Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period. This will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring outside of their employment. In addition, foster carers may apply for flexible working when settling a new child into their home.

(ii) We do not have a policy which explicitly covers paid time off for fosters carers for (A) training. (B) Up to 10 days in a 12-month rolling period can be taken at the start of a planned permanent placement to help the child settle. If both parents are employed by the department, one parent would receive up to 10 days and the other up to 5 days.

Employees are able to take annual and flexi leave as required and request flexible working. In addition, employees are able to take upto 15 days paid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant.

(iii) Prospective adopters under a 'fostering to adopt' arrangement, can take up to 5 days paid leave in a rolling 12 month period. Employees can also take 5 days special leave without pay to attend meetings, training, unforeseen emergencies relating to their fostering role or to accommodate an emergency placement. In addition, we also allow employees to take up to 5 days paid special leave to attend non emergency medical appointments for dependants where these cannot be booked in working time.

Employees of Arms Length Bodies are able to take annual leave as required and request flexible working. In addition, employees are able to take time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. Other paid or unpaid time off provisions vary between each individual employer.

The Planning Inspectorate does not hold information on whether a local planning authority has acted unreasonably in refusing a planning application for a clean energy project without justification. As such, we are unable to provide an estimate on the number of such cases.

In addition, when determining a planning appeal the Planning Inspector or Secretary of State can only address the principle of whether costs should be awarded in full or in part. The precise costs are settled subsequently between the parties, who are under no obligation to inform the Planning Inspectorate or the Secretary of State as to the outcome. As such, we are unable to provide an estimate of the total costs awarded in relation to such cases.

The Planning Inspectorate does not hold information on whether a local planning authority has acted unreasonably in refusing a planning application for a clean energy project without justification. As such, we are unable to provide an estimate on the number of such cases.

In addition, when determining a planning appeal the Planning Inspector or Secretary of State can only address the principle of whether costs should be awarded in full or in part. The precise costs are settled subsequently between the parties, who are under no obligation to inform the Planning Inspectorate or the Secretary of State as to the outcome. As such, we are unable to provide an estimate of the total costs awarded in relation to such cases.

Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period. This will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring outside of their employment. In addition, foster carers may apply for flexible working when settling a new child into their home.

We do not have a policy which explicitly covers paid time off for foster carers for (A) training and/or (B) settling a new child into their home. Employees are able to take annual and flexi leave as required and request flexible working.

In the Ministry of Justice, special leave may be granted to foster carers who need time off work to attend to their caring responsibilities. It may be planned or unplanned, and paid or unpaid. Employees may request special leave for several reasons including:

• to undertake an assessment process to gain approval that they are suitable to foster;

• to take time off when the child is first placed with them settle the child ensure appropriate childcare arrangements can be put in place to allow the employee to continue to work; and

• to take emergency leave to care for dependants.

At the discretion of a manager, special leave without pay may be granted for other personal reasons not mentioned above.