Select committee: Petitions Committee
Recommendation 15
First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
Published 6 Jul 2020
Paragraph 80
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)
Adoptive parents and their children have faced uniquely challenging situations without the access to the professional and informal support that they need. These children are among the most vulnerable in society. In the most serious situations, we’ve heard that the negative impacts of Covid-19 could lead to an increase in adoption breakdown which would be devastating for parents and children. The 60 The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave extension of adoption leave with pay would give these new parents the opportunity to access some of the support they’ve missed out on as lockdown restrictions are eased. It will also give them valuable time to establish important routines and to bond with their children, as well as time to settle their children into new childcare or schools and introduce them to their wider adoptive families. The Government should extend adoption leave and pay for adoptive parents who have been affected by the pandemic for three months.
From: Petitions Committee, First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave (HC 526), paragraph 80, 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".