§ Mr. HendrickTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her plans to introduce(a) enhanced maternity rights, (b) new paternity rights and (c) rights for adoptive parents. [77828]
427W
§ Alan JohnsonI have today laid before Parliament three draft affirmative Statutory Instruments which
amend existing regulations to extend current rights to maternity leave; provide for new rights to paternity and adoption leave; and establish the rates of statutory adoption pay and statutory paternity pay.These regulations, subject to their approval by both Houses, will be followed by negative Statutory Instruments setting the other details of the new statutory adoption and paternity pay regimes.
These new regulations give detailed effect to provisions set out in broad terms in the Employment Act 2002, which received Royal Assent in July. The measures have been developed as a result of extensive public consultation over recent times, and are designed to provide significantly improved choices for working parents, to help them balance their work and family lives, without imposing undue burdens and administrative complexity on business.
A Regulatory Impact assessment has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.