§ Ms JowellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the need to review arrangements related to maternity leave with particular reference to employer notification requirements; and if he will make a statement. [34969]
Mr. John M. TaylorI receive representations on various aspects of statutory maternity rights, but am not aware that the employer notification requirements are a matter of particular concern.
§ Ms JowellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many women in each year since 1992 informed their employers of their intention to return to work after maternity leave by providing the minimum 21 days' notice. [34966]
Mr. TaylorThe requirement to give—where practicable—at least 21 days' notice of intention to return applies only to the right to reinstatement after extended maternity absence. Pregnant employees with at least two years service qualify for that right. The Government do not generally collect statistics on the numbers of women meeting this notification requirement. However, according to the Policy Studies Institute report "Maternity Rights in Britain", which the Government co-sponsored, the proportion of all women reporting the right to reinstatement—that is, women with the necessary qualifying service—who gave employers formal notice o return was 41 per cent. in 1979 and 72 per cent. in 1988.