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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help ensure that (a) women and (b) men receive adequate support from their workplace when experiencing the loss of a child.

The Government recognises that the death of a child is a tragic event. In April 2020 we introduced a new statutory entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for parents who lose a child under the age of 18.

By making this change in the law, the Government is sending an important signal to employers that the issue of bereavement in the workplace should be acknowledged, and that we expect them to respond to such circumstances in a sensitive and compassionate manner. The policy establishes a statutory baseline for employers when managing parental bereavement in the workplace.