§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department is monitoring the 346W extent to which parental leave and flexible working arrangements, designed to help parents combine employment and family commitments, are being adopted by employers in response to the Government's encouragement, rather than a statutory obligation, to do so.
§ Mr. NichollsMy Department is not aware of any surveys on the extent to which employers and employees have agreed arrangements specifically for the purpose of helping working parents to combine employment and family commitments. However, it closely monitors all research carried out into the general question of flexible working patterns, and has itself commissioned and carried out studies yielding relevant information.