Member

In 2015, the introduction of shared parental leave, led by the Liberal Democrats in government, was a significant step forward. It gave families the option to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay. However, it was only a first step, and further reform is clearly needed. Take-up of both shared parental leave and paternity leave remains far too low. Affordability is a central barrier. A poll conducted recently found that 62% of fathers would take more leave if statutory pay were increased. The current statutory rate—as I said, less than half the full-time earning at minimum wage—is insufficient to allow families a meaningful choice.