Parliamentary.ai

Overview

This bill proposes to provide parents in the UK with three days of paid leave following a miscarriage. The leave would also cover ectopic and molar pregnancies and would be implemented through amendments to existing employment and social security legislation.

Description

The Miscarriage Leave Bill mandates the Secretary of State to create regulations under the Employment Rights Act 1996, granting parents experiencing a miscarriage three days of paid bereavement leave. This leave would extend to ectopic and molar pregnancies. The bill also empowers the Secretary of State to issue regulations under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 to facilitate the payment of this leave. These regulations must be presented to Parliament within 90 days of the bill's passage. The bill will amend existing legislation, including the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, to explicitly include miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and molar pregnancy in the definition of parental bereavement leave and pay.

Government Spending

The bill will lead to increased government spending due to the provision of paid leave. The exact cost is not specified in the bill but would depend on the number of parents taking this leave and the associated costs of statutory bereavement pay.

Groups Affected

• Parents experiencing miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy: These individuals will directly benefit from three days of paid leave, potentially easing the emotional and financial burden during a difficult time.
• Employers: Employers will be responsible for providing the paid leave to their employees. The administrative burden of managing these new leave provisions will need to be addressed.
• UK Government: The government will be responsible for funding the statutory bereavement pay associated with this leave, resulting in increased expenditure.