§ Geraldine SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on maternity leave, maternity support leave, parental leave and adoption leave in the Police Service. [44041]
§ Mr. DenhamMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has approved an agreement reached in the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) granting improved maternity leave to policewomen in England and Wales. The PNB Agreement also creates new rights for police officers to maternity support leave, adoption leave and to time off to care for dependants. The full details of the agreement are set out in Home Office Circular hoc 12–2002 that has been placed in the Library.
The changes include:
enabling policewomen to take split periods of maternity leave before and after childbirth;giving police officers with responsibility for a child an entitlement to 13 weeks leave in respect of each child up to the age of five, with an entitlement to buy back, for pension purposes, reckonable service for any period taken as parental leave;replacing the current two day paternity leave provision with an entitlement to five days paid maternity support leave for the child's father or partner or nominated carer of the expectant mother;giving police officers five days adoption leave at or around the time of adoption; andgiving police officers an entitlement to paid leave, normally one or two days, to cope with short-term difficulties.My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary approved the PNB Agreement in order to give police officers the same rights enjoyed by other workers under employment rights legislation.