Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill — House of Commons, 2018-05-11
Topic: Social Welfare
Eleanor Fulton Laing (Conservative, Centre-right): With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: Amendment 2, page 2, line 11, after ‘parent’, insert ‘or grandparent where they were the primary carer of the child.’ This amendment would widen the provision to include grandparents where they were the primary carer of the deceased child. Amendment 3, page 2, leave out line 22 This amendment would remove the ability to set the period within which the leave may be taken. Amendment 22, page 2, line 22, at end insert, ", including arrangements for taking the entitled leave at different points within the period specified in subsection (6)." This amendment would ensure that regulations on parental bereavement leave provide flexibility on when the entitled leave can be taken. Amendment 4, page 2, line 25, leave out ‘two’ and insert ‘four’ This amendment would increase the minimum time off from work from two to four weeks. Amendment 5, page 2, leave out lines 26 to 28 This amendment would remove any deadline for when the leave must be taken. Amendment 23, page 2, line 27, leave out ‘56 days’ and insert ‘52 weeks’ This amendment would extend the period of time within which parental bereavement leave must be taken from 56 days to 52 weeks Amendment 6, page 3, line 1, leave out ‘"child" means a person under the age of 18;’ This amendment would mean that parental bereavement leave would apply to a child of any age, not just those below the age of 18. Amendment 24, page 3, line 1, leave out from ‘a’ to end of line 3 and insert ‘son or daughter of any age’ This amendment would change the definition of "child", for the purpose of parental bereavement leave, to a son or daughter of any age. Amendment 7, page 3, line 11, after ‘absence,’ insert ‘save for remuneration’ This amendment would make clear that the employee is not entitled to contractual pay for the leave. Amendment 8, page 3, line 18, leave out ‘a job of a kind prescribed by regulations,’ and insert ‘the job in which they were employed before their absence,’ Amendment 11, page 4, leave out lines 8 to 17 This amendment would remove the power to make regulations providing for notices, or make provision for any consequences as a result of failing to give notice, or failure to keep records of notice or comply with other procedural requirements. Amendment 10, page 4, leave out lines 8 to 10 This amendment would remove the requirement to give any notice to take leave. Amendment 9, page 4, line 8, after ‘about’ insert ‘reasonable’ This amendment would create a requirement of giving a reasonable notice period before taking the leave. Amendment 12, page 5, line 9, leave out ‘parent’ and insert ‘primary care giver’ This amendment would widen the provision to include those who are not ‘parents’ but were the main carer of the deceased child. Amendment 13, page 5, line 11, leave out from ‘employer’ to end of line 12 This amendment would remove the qualifying period to make the pay element a day one right. Amendment 15, page 5, leave out from the start of line 40 to the end of line 2 on page 6 This amendment would remove the requirement to give notice, and how to give notice in order to receive parental bereavement pay. Amendment 16, page 5, line 44, after ‘which’ insert ‘reasonable’ This amendment would require the individual to give a reasonable amount of notice for taking bereavement pay. Amendment 17, page 6, leave out lines 1 and 2 and insert— "(3) Employers must accept notice given in writing, face to face, by telephone or through a third party on behalf of the bereaved parent." This amendment would remove the requirement to give notice in writing, allowing this to be given in conversation or through a third party on their behalf. Amendment 18, page 6, leave out from start of line 48 to end of line 2 on page 7 This amendment would remove the liability of HMRC to pay statutory bereavement pay. Amendment 19, page 7, line 13, leave out ‘two’ and insert ‘four’ This amendment would increase the payment for bereavement pay from a minimum of two to four weeks. Amendment 20, page 7, leave out lines 18 to 21 This amendment would remove the requirement for bereavement pay to be paid within at least 56 days. Amendment 21, page 9, line 18, leave out ‘"child" means a person under the age of 18’ This amendment would mean that parental bereavement pay would apply to a child of any age, not just those below the age of 18. Amendment 25, page 9, line 18, leave out from ‘a’ to end of line 20 and insert ‘son or daughter of any age’ This amendment would change the definition of "child", for the purpose of parental bereavement pay, to a son or daughter of any age.