Clause 2 - Statutory paternity pay
Employment Bill
11:30 am
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede and Weybridge, Conservative)
I have listened to the Minister's argument, but there seems to be an element of discrimination against the self-employed and against men. He is not prepared to treat self-employed men in the same way as self-employed women for paternity and maternity pay purposes. The Minister may give all sorts of reasons for that, but it is not satisfactory. One amendment in this group gives cause for concern, so I shall talk to organisations that represent the self-employed and return to the matter on Report.
We are simply asking for an assurance that the Minister could easily give. We want him to ensure that self-employed people with low earnings are able to take paternity leave and receive benefit equivalent to statutory paternity pay. No matter how he does it and regardless of the mechanism used and whether it is called statutory paternity pay, will he give that assurance, as he gave a similar assurance to the hon. Member for Doncaster, North last week in respect of employees below the lower earnings limit? That is all I ask. I understand his reluctance to make such a commitment, but if he thinks about the matter, he may find that he is able to give that undertaking within the scope of the overall benefits system. I shall return to
the matter on Report, and I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.