§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of women who have exercised their right to maternity leave under sections 33 and 45 of the employment protection legislation each year since June 1976.
§ Mr. MayhewNo figures are available for the number of women who have exercised the right to return to work under sections 33 and 45 of the Employ-616W ment Protection Act. The only relevant figures available are the number of women who have received maternity pay under section 34 of the Act and in respect of whom rebate has been paid to the employer by my Department under section 39. They relate to the period from 6 April 1977 when the right to maternity pay became effective.
The numbers are:
April 1977-March 1978 67,366 April 1978-March 1979 107,953 April 1979-September 1979 55,139
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table comparing the maternity leave, including the right to return to work, and maternity pay provisions of the United Kingdom with other member countries of the EEC.
§ Mr. MayhewI shall publish a table containing the information in theOfficial Report as soon as possible.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the costs to the maternity pay fund of the maternity leave provision of the Employment Protection Act since 6 April 1977.
§ Mr. MayhewThe costs to the maternity pay fund, that is rebate payments to employers, direct payments to employees and administrative costs, since 6 April 1977 have been as follows:
April 1977-March 1978 £15,020,309 April 1978-March 1979 £26,356,147 April 1979-September 1979 £14,207,966