Clause 1 - Paternity leave
Employment Bill
5:00 pm
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
If I may build on the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Tatton, an issue was missed in the previous exchange. Although the child's mother's position will be indisputable, is it not conceivable that two men who legitimately fall within
the definitions envisaged by the Minister could claim to be entitled to paternity leave in respect of the same child? We must know whether it is intended that only one person will be able to claim maternity leave rights and one able to claim paternity leave rights. I am saying nothing about the gender of those people, but it would be inappropriate if two, three or four people could legitimately claim paternity leave rights because they were providing some kind of support or care for a child. Surely that is not what the Minister means?