Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing paid fertility treatment leave.

The Government understands the importance of supporting people who are undergoing fertility treatment. We recognise the impact on women and couples of infertility and the importance of fertility treatment in helping them have long wished for families.

While there is no specific right to time off work for medical appointments, there are a number of ways through our existing policy and legal framework in which employees may be able to take time off to attend an appointment. Many employers are also willing to agree ‘ad-hoc’ or informal flexible working arrangements on a short-term basis.