§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department have taken time off from work in order to attend to domestic incidents as provided for by the Employment Relations Act 1999.[108351]
§ Mr. LammyThe information required is not held centrally. Responsibility for authorising and monitoring such leave is devolved to individual management units and is treated as a personal issue between line management and staff.
The right to time off is contained in section 57A of the Employment Rights Act 1996 as amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999. The section came into effect on 15 December 1999. The right to time off is available to all those who have a contract of employment with an employer, whether they work full or part time.
Special leave policy rests with individual departments and agencies, who are free to decide on the amounts of special leave and the circumstances for which it is granted, including whether such leave is paid or unpaid.