Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.

My Department is not an employer in its own right and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provides the Wales Office with employment services and HR policies, such as Paternity Leave.

Some staff could qualify for statutory paternity leave on their first day of service because they already have qualifying service with another Civil Service organisation.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.