§ Mr. CohenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has in respect of increasing the provision of parental leave. [38511]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyThe Government are committed to implementing the EC Parental Leave Directive by December 1999. The Directive will provide employees, both mothers and fathers, with a basic entitlement to three months unpaid leave on grounds of the birth or adoption of a child. It will also provide employees with the right to time off for urgent family reasons. We intend to consult fully on how we implement the Directive, in particular on the matters on which it provides options and flexibilities.