HC Deb 24 May 2004 vol 421 c1445W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of women in Oldham, West and Royton have taken 26 weeks' maternity leave since 1997. [170938]

Mr. Sutcliffe

Data on maternity leave is not available by constituency. However, a DTI survey of working parents in Autumn 2000 showed that of mothers who had taken maternity leave in the previous five years, 51 per cent. had taken 18 weeks or less and 79 per cent. had taken 19 to 29 weeks or less.