Overview

This bill proposes to give parents who experience a miscarriage three days of paid leave. The leave would apply to miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and molar pregnancies, and would be enacted through amendments to existing employment and social security legislation.

Description

The Miscarriage Leave Bill mandates the Secretary of State to create regulations under existing employment law (Employment Rights Act 1996) providing three days of paid bereavement leave for parents following a miscarriage. These regulations will also cover ectopic and molar pregnancies. The bill also amends the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 to ensure that statutory bereavement pay is available for this leave. Specific amendments are made to several sections of both Acts to integrate the new provision for miscarriage leave, mirroring the existing framework for parental bereavement leave after a stillbirth. The regulations must be presented to Parliament within 90 days of the bill passing. A miscarriage is defined as the loss of a pregnancy under 24 weeks gestation, including ectopic and molar pregnancies.

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 will depend on the number of individuals utilizing the new entitlement and the level of statutory bereavement pay.

Groups Affected

• Parents experiencing miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy: They will benefit from three days of paid leave, potentially easing the physical and emotional burden following pregnancy loss.
• Employers: They will be required to provide the paid leave as mandated by law, potentially incurring additional administrative costs and needing to adjust staffing arrangements.
• The UK Government: Will face increased expenditure to fund the paid leave entitlement.

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