Clause 4 - Statutory adoption pay
Employment Bill
4:45 pm
Mr Alan Johnson (Minister of State (Employment and the Regions), Department of Trade and Industry; Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, Labour)
The purpose of the clause is to ensure that people claiming the allowance are not working at the same time. The amendment would not affect that as it is dealt with in new section 171ZN(3). However, the beauty of including the provision before us is that it establishes up front that someone cannot claim the allowance and carry on working. People get adoption pay for being home to care for the child who has been placed with them. They cannot work and continue to receive payment.
Subsection (2)(c) uses the expression ''ceased to work'' because it is widely understood in the context of statutory maternity pay. The language is taken from existing statutory maternity pay legislation. I hope that the hon. Gentleman is satisfied enough with that explanation to withdraw the amendment.