Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits that extending shared parental (a) leave and (b) pay to self-employed workers would provide to families accessing maternity or paternity leave.

The government set out in its response to the Taylor Review of modern employment practices that while it agrees with the principle of equalising benefits for the self-employed it is right to only consider making changes to this area once we have carefully considered this in the wider context of tax, benefits and rights over the longer term.

Since 2010, we have taken significant steps to equalise the state benefits provided to the employed and self-employed, including giving the self-employed access to the full rate of the new State Pension for the first time, (worth up to £1,900/year more).