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Written Question
Miscarriage: Bereavement Leave and Bereavement Payment
Friday 14th February 2025

Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending Paid Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave to those who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The loss of a child at any age is incredibly difficult. Parental Bereavement Leave is available to parents who suffer a bereavement from 24 weeks of completed pregnancy up to the age of 18.

Under existing laws, women are protected against any discrimination regarding pregnancy, including miscarriage. We expect employers to treat their employees experiencing miscarriage with compassion, and we encourage them to where possible go further to support their employees. More broadly, the Employment Rights Bill will strengthen protection for new mothers and establish a new right to Bereavement Leave for other loved ones.


Written Question
Postal Services
Tuesday 28th February 2023

Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) Royal Mail and (b) Ofcom on Royal Mail’s review of customer service points.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Decisions on the closure of customer service points are an operational matter for Royal Mail, provided they meet Ofcom’s regulatory requirement on Royal Mail, as the Designated Universal Service Provider, to provide access points for the universal service.

Whilst the Government has no role in Royal Mail’s operational decisions, I understand that Royal Mail has completed the first stage of its review of customer service points and decided to maintain the current estate.