Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps the Government has taken to ensure that (a) mothers and (b) people with primary care responsibilities have access to flexible working.

The 2014 revision to the Right to Request Flexible Working provided all employees with the same access to flexible working, seeking to eliminate the view that flexible working is only for parents/carers.

The Government is keen to ensure that the existing “right to request” legislation continues to have the desired effect and has committed to review its impact in 2020. Government has also announced that it will consult on asking employers to consider whether a job can be done flexibly, and to make that clear when advertising.

In parallel, the Government is looking to work with employers on a voluntary basis. We have established a Flexible Working Taskforce with representatives from across Whitehall, from key organisations like Carers UK and Working Families, the TUC and key business groups to promote wider understanding and implementation of flexible working practices.