Select committee: Petitions Committee
Recommendation 11
First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
Published 6 Jul 2020
Paragraph 56
Petitions Committee The Government's response to Coronavirus All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
While baby classes may not be directly vital to baby development, they provide important support to new parents, which will benefit the care they can provide. From our discussions with the sector and with the Minister, there has not been sufficient engagement with these groups or appropriate consideration of the contribution that they make the lives of new parents. The Government should engage fully with this important sector and consider how it can be better supported. We were pleased that the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets, Paul Scully MP, has committed to Government engagement with the baby class sector. The Government should provide an update on its discussions with the baby group sector as part of its response to this report.
From: Petitions Committee, First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave (HC 526), paragraph 56, 6 July 2020
Government response
The impact of COVID-19 on maternity and parental leave: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report
The government responded to the whole report on 29 July 2020 (deadline 6 September 2020).
Second Special Report - The impact of COVID-19 on maternity and parental leave: Government Response to the Committee's First Report
Published 9 September 2020.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it is "still not persuaded that there is a need to extend entitlements to paid Maternity Leave at this time", while agreeing with some recommendations on data and guidance.
- On data, it agrees that access to data on uptake of parental leave and pay "is important", and says survey results "will be published in due course".
- On extending parental leave and pay, it says it is "not minded to extend entitlements to parental leave and pay at the current time", citing cost to the taxpayer and the additional burden on employers.
- On furlough for pregnant women, it says the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is temporary and closes at the end of October, and that employers must suspend pregnant employees on full pay where a risk assessment identifies a risk and controls cannot be put in place.
- It says it remains "committed to extending" redundancy protections "as soon as parliamentary time allows", and that the three-month tribunal time limit is being considered, with a response "in due course".