Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the anticipated 18 months’ lead time that commercial payroll providers require, in order to implement paid neonatal leave following Royal Assent for the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to implementing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as soon as possible. To deliver this entitlement, it will be necessary to make changes to HMRC systems and for employers and payroll providers to have sufficient notice to update their pay systems. It will also be necessary to have extensive secondary legislation and guidance in place. This work is estimated to take around 18 months following Royal Assent.
BEIS officials are discussing with HMRC and payroll providers whether it is possible to reduce this timeline.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to provide businesses with adequate guidance in advance of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill receiving Royal Assent, so that they can prepare for the introduction of paid neonatal leave.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to implementing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as soon as possible. To deliver this entitlement, it will be necessary to make changes to HMRC systems and for employers and payroll providers to have sufficient notice to update their pay systems. It will also be necessary to have extensive secondary legislation and guidance in place. This work is estimated to take around 18 months following Royal Assent.
BEIS officials are discussing with HMRC and payroll providers whether it is possible to reduce this timeline.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to prepare the Government systems that administer statutory payments in advance of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill receiving Royal Assent.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to implementing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as soon as possible. To deliver this entitlement, it will be necessary to make changes to HMRC systems and for employers and payroll providers to have sufficient notice to update their pay systems. It will also be necessary to have extensive secondary legislation and guidance in place. This work is estimated to take around 18 months following Royal Assent.
BEIS officials are discussing with HMRC and payroll providers whether it is possible to reduce this timeline.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will have discussions with HMRC about developing a payment mechanism for the introduction of neonatal leave and pay; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to taking forward neonatal leave and pay when parliamentary time allows. Payment systems for new leave entitlements are large-scale projects which require considerable investment. Officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and HMRC are already engaged in discussions regarding the development of the necessary system.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the introduction of the Employment Bill.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to introducing new employment measures as we seek to build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business. We have recently concluded a consultation containing proposals to reform flexible working regulations (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-flexible-working-the-default) and have published a Government response to a consultation regarding the establishment of a single enforcement body for employment rights (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/good-work-plan-establishing-a-new-single-enforcement-body-for-employment-rights).
We will bring forward reforms to our employment framework when Parliamentary time allows it. In the meantime, we will continue to take necessary action to support businesses and protect jobs.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to provide parents of babies receiving neonatal care with additional paid parental leave from April 2023.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to providing parents with an entitlement to take extended, paid leave for neonatal care, to support those new mothers and fathers who need it during the most stressful days of their lives.
The Government will bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will include provisions in the forthcoming Employment Bill to ensure that neonatal leave and pay is accessible to all parents with a baby in neonatal care, including those parents who are under 25 years old.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 1 March 2020, we published the Government’s Response to the 2019 consultation on Neonatal Leave and Pay which committed to introducing a new entitlement to Neonatal Leave and Pay.
The entitlement will apply to all parents of babies who are admitted into hospital up to the age of 28 days, and who have a continuous stay in hospital of seven days or more. The period of leave and pay available to parents will be capped at 12 weeks. Neonatal Leave will be a ‘day one’ right, available to an employee from the first day of employment in their job.
We will bring forward legislation to introduce Neonatal Leave and Pay when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people are estimated to benefit from the planned rise in the national living wage to £7.83 in Thornbury and Yate constituency.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
This Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. Through the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage we continue to ensure the lowest paid in our society are fairly rewarded for their contribution to the economy.
The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) 2018 Impact Assessment includes an assessment of the number of people the Government expects to benefit from the planned increase in the National Living Wage to £7.83: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2018/24/pdfs/ukia_20180024_en.pdf
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people are estimated to benefit from the planned rise in the national living wage to £7.83 in south Gloucestershire.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
This Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. Through the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage we continue to ensure the lowest paid in our society are fairly rewarded for their contribution to the economy.
The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) 2018 Impact Assessment includes an assessment of the number of people the Government expects to benefit from the planned increase in the National Living Wage to £7.83: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2018/24/pdfs/ukia_20180024_en.pdf
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy how many people are estimated to benefit from the planned rise in the national living wage to £7.83 in the South West.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
This Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. Through the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage we continue to ensure the lowest paid in our society are fairly rewarded for their contribution to the economy.
The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) 2018 Impact Assessment includes an assessment of the number of people the Government expects to benefit from the planned increase in the National Living Wage to £7.83: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2018/24/pdfs/ukia_20180024_en.pdf