Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what consideration he has given to the potential merits of allowing employees an entitlement of leave for attending family court proceedings.

We recognise that individuals may need to attend court in a personal capacity and believe that employers and employees are often best placed to agree arrangements that reflect individual circumstances. Existing workplace arrangements, including annual leave, unpaid leave, and flexible working, can help employees manage personal commitments alongside their work responsibilities. We are making changes through the Employment Rights Act 2025 to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted. However, the Government has no current plans to introduce a statutory entitlement to leave for employees attending family court proceedings.