Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 11:01 am on 15 July 2022.

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Photo of Jane Hunt Jane Hunt Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) 11:01, 15 July 2022

That is a good idea, and I will take that up.

My hon. Friend the Member for Thornbury and Yate also raised concerns about why seven full days of neonatal are required before the entitlement is triggered. In response, I flag that the policy is primarily intended to support parents of babies facing longer stays in hospital and that the needs of parents in that position must be balanced against those of their employer. When developing the approach, the responses from parents, parent representative groups and business representatives to the 2019 consultation on neonatal leave and pay were considered.