§ Mrs. Haymanasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many women he estimates will be eligible for maternity leave in any one year under the Employment Protection Bill provisions; and how many more would become eligible if the qualifying period of employment were reduced from two years to 12 months.
§ Mr. BoothIt is estimated that about 220,000 women could be eligible for maternity leave under the Employment Protection Bill in any one year. If the qualifying period were reduced to 12 months a further 50,000 women would probably be eligible, bringing the total to approximately 270,000.