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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of introducing statutory paid leave for kinship carers on levels of recruitment and staff retention.

The Parental Leave and Pay Review is considering all parental leave and pay entitlements as well as the support available for those who do not currently qualify for existing protections, including kinship carers. This is an evidence-based Review and is taking a wide array of evidence into account. The Review is expected to report in early 2027, setting out next steps for taking forward any reforms to implementation.

The Government is also supporting kinship carers and has recently launched a kinship pilot to support up to 5,000 children by paying eligible carers an allowance equivalent to the Fostering National Minimum Allowance.