0:00:26 > 0:00:32We come now to the ten minute rule notion.Thank you Mr Speaker, I
0:00:32 > 0:00:38picked the moves that these would be given to bring in a bill to make
0:00:38 > 0:00:41provision about shared parental leave and pay for workers including
0:00:41 > 0:00:45those that are self-employed and for connected purposes. I would like to
0:00:45 > 0:00:49begin by paying tribute to those who had been campaigning for the
0:00:49 > 0:00:54provisions in this bill. I would not be preventing you here today if it
0:00:54 > 0:00:58was not for their work and dedication in pushing shared
0:00:58 > 0:01:08parental leave for all onto the event -- agenda. Who gave music,
0:01:08 > 0:01:16equity,... The self-employed are not just clustered around the creative
0:01:16 > 0:01:22industries, the whole world of work is changing. More and more people
0:01:22 > 0:01:27are close to or freelance working in the economy. 15% of British workers
0:01:27 > 0:01:33defined himself as freelance. The deal, gleaners, Wilders, that
0:01:33 > 0:01:37drivers, journalists, engineers, were drivers, printer, decorator,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41literally anyone can the self-employed. But 9% of women and a
0:01:41 > 0:01:4616% of men aren't eligible to share parental pay because they are
0:01:46 > 0:01:51self-employed. And there are 24,000 self-employed mums claiming
0:01:51 > 0:01:57maternity allowance who would benefit from this bill. What is
0:01:57 > 0:02:00encouraging is that the government no shared parental leave is
0:02:00 > 0:02:04important. It was a positive and radical step introduced by the
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Coalition government in 2015. Sadly, not enough families are taking the
0:02:09 > 0:02:15opportunity because we're many employers have enhanced maternity
0:02:15 > 0:02:18schemes, for most employees, such schemes don't exist, meaning many
0:02:18 > 0:02:25families would be worse off if this -- if they signed up to it. And for
0:02:25 > 0:02:28most, keeping the family finances in the black is a priority. So, it was
0:02:28 > 0:02:33good to see you last week, the government brought out their
0:02:33 > 0:02:35advertising campaign, share the joy to get more dads to take of their
0:02:35 > 0:02:40entitlement. A welcome push when only a disappointing 2% of employees
0:02:40 > 0:02:45take shared parental leave. Unfortunately, the problems around
0:02:45 > 0:02:49take-up will never be clearer than when the Minister responsible for
0:02:49 > 0:02:52shared parental leave the honourable member for Barton revealed last week
0:02:52 > 0:02:56that while doing a media round to promote the policy that he was in
0:02:56 > 0:03:00fact as I minister not eligible. I don't mention this to embarrass the
0:03:00 > 0:03:04member in any way, but simply to use it as an example of how the culture
0:03:04 > 0:03:08around sure to leave these two change. To do that, we need to get
0:03:08 > 0:03:15more people more choice. Parity between the traditionally employed
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and self and bright and this will go -- will do just that. Currently,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24self-employed mums have given birth must take is vegetarian maternity
0:03:24 > 0:03:28allowance in one go. They can't return to work for a month or two
0:03:28 > 0:03:31then resume their allowance. My bill, without all freelance partners
0:03:31 > 0:03:37to decide who sees the allowance, so mum can take a block when she is
0:03:37 > 0:03:41ready, or wants to reenter the workplace, while the family who
0:03:41 > 0:03:47receives the regular income from the maternity allowance. A simple way of
0:03:47 > 0:03:50replicating shared parental leave for a freelancer is at no extra cost
0:03:50 > 0:03:55to the taxpayer. A move which I think will send a strong message to
0:03:55 > 0:03:58the country that not only do we understand the changing face of
0:03:58 > 0:04:02work, but we believe that men and women are valued equally in the home
0:04:02 > 0:04:07and the workplace. I'd also said the ministers if the policy was extended
0:04:07 > 0:04:10to the self-employed and freelancers, I believe there
0:04:10 > 0:04:17wouldn't be any problem with poor take-up. A survey conducted by
0:04:17 > 0:04:21parental pay quality, fawned over 70% of freelancers for those with
0:04:21 > 0:04:25freelance partners would use the scheme if it was available for them
0:04:25 > 0:04:29in the future. I change to our cultural norms doesn't happen
0:04:29 > 0:04:35overnight. But I believe the self-employed can blaze a trail in
0:04:35 > 0:04:39leading the way in helping us to get to a place where it assumed that
0:04:39 > 0:04:44partners can and indeed should shoulder a significant amount of the
0:04:44 > 0:04:48child care. So, if the numbers of freelancers that would take up
0:04:48 > 0:04:51should border and -- printed leave are significant, why are we holding
0:04:51 > 0:05:00back? For those under current legislation are self employed mum is
0:05:00 > 0:05:07entitled to maternity allowance of £140, 98p per week for 39 weeks if
0:05:07 > 0:05:11they have paid class to National Insurance for at least 13 of the 66
0:05:11 > 0:05:15weeks before the baby is due. Maternity allowance is paid only two
0:05:15 > 0:05:24mums. If that is withdrawn, if the freelance mum does any work beyond
0:05:24 > 0:05:31the secretary ten keeping in touch bases allowed so for example if a
0:05:31 > 0:05:34freelance took a short contract job that lasted for longer than ten days
0:05:34 > 0:05:39she'd immediately lose a maternity allowance and would be able to reply
0:05:39 > 0:05:43but if she's an employee on maternity leave can work freelance
0:05:43 > 0:05:48so long as she doesn't break the terms of her employment contract and
0:05:48 > 0:05:54still get her maternity pay. Far from ideal and a difficult Catch-22
0:05:54 > 0:05:57position for self-employed woman. Stay off work and keep the allowance
0:05:57 > 0:06:02for the full 39 weeks or take the risk of taking a one-off job that
0:06:02 > 0:06:06might not result in regular money. A stressful decision for anyone that
0:06:06 > 0:06:09are not result in regular money. A stressful decision for anyone let
0:06:09 > 0:06:17alone a sleep deprived run by women we know there are many families out
0:06:17 > 0:06:22there who might benefit from sharing the Paterno leaves so why is it
0:06:22 > 0:06:27important we do it now? Because this type of work, freelance
0:06:27 > 0:06:30self-employed contract base is on the rise. We know from the awareness
0:06:30 > 0:06:36that at least four million people are employed in insecure freelance
0:06:36 > 0:06:39self-employed work, the government has stated his desire to tackle the
0:06:39 > 0:06:44problem is the sort of employment can create. Less security, fewer
0:06:44 > 0:06:49rights, often mistake that more conventional employments.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Self-employment and the economy has recently been the subject of
0:06:51 > 0:06:57detailed review. And after Matthew Taylor had hours of submissions and
0:06:57 > 0:07:00many detailed recommendations, he conceded that the government should
0:07:00 > 0:07:04address and I quote parental leave in particular where self-employed
0:07:04 > 0:07:12people lose out. This is our chance to get it on the agenda. Because,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16freelance self-employed and insecure work is new, it's been the feature
0:07:16 > 0:07:22of creative industries for decades. 44% of the creative industries are
0:07:22 > 0:07:26self-employed. I worked in it for over 30 years and my partner still
0:07:26 > 0:07:31does. It can be tough to pay the bills. Working hours are flexible
0:07:31 > 0:07:35with project based employment and certainty, precariousness and
0:07:35 > 0:07:40irregular and often unreliable payments. No 95, very little
0:07:40 > 0:07:44stability, while looking for work can take up as nearly as much time
0:07:44 > 0:07:50as doing the job. But today, the working patents and insecurities of
0:07:50 > 0:07:54the creative industries aren't an anomaly, they are becoming the norm.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And for any freelance couple the idea of starting a family can be
0:07:58 > 0:08:02terrifying, another mouth to feed, no guarantee of work. Obviously, for
0:08:02 > 0:08:07any new parents money is tight, but for those in the dig economy
0:08:07 > 0:08:11insecure work it even more so. Employing 2 million people the
0:08:11 > 0:08:17creative industries are a success story, the areas of improvement
0:08:17 > 0:08:22remain. More often than not, it's the woman who embraces on her career
0:08:22 > 0:08:27to bring up her family. She's the one that steps out of the industry
0:08:27 > 0:08:31because to freelancers can't make the finances work. Or once back at
0:08:31 > 0:08:37work she's the one expected to stay up with the children goes part-time
0:08:37 > 0:08:40to fit school hours or the one expected to dash home early when
0:08:40 > 0:08:44childcare falls through. And you only have to look at the recent
0:08:44 > 0:08:48awards to see how bearing the bulk of childcare can impact on career
0:08:48 > 0:08:53progression. Women still lag behind men when they are dishing out and
0:08:53 > 0:08:58the statistics back it up. According to research from reading films, 74%
0:08:58 > 0:09:03of creative workers surveyed turned down work because they were
0:09:03 > 0:09:09appearing. 22% said their career had come to a halt or stopped altogether
0:09:09 > 0:09:14once they had a child. Although talents, all that training,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18dedication, lost because there's not enough support for self-employed
0:09:18 > 0:09:24families with young children. So, we need to change the culture and to do
0:09:24 > 0:09:29it, we need to start right at the beginning with the baby is born. As
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I mentioned at the beginning of this speech, and I know how much the
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Treasury bench appreciate a good deal so I think it's worth
0:09:36 > 0:09:43repeating, what I propose is coming at no extra cost to the taxpayer.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Maternity allowance is already paid to new mothers, it's a win-win for
0:09:47 > 0:09:52the Treasury. It also means men having more of a chance to spend
0:09:52 > 0:09:55time with their babies. Allowing women to pick up opportunities as
0:09:55 > 0:10:00they present themselves. And although I personally believe the
0:10:00 > 0:10:04amount of the allowance should be increased, this bill isn't about
0:10:04 > 0:10:08that. This bill is simply to give freelancers and the self-employed
0:10:08 > 0:10:14the right to share the current allowance. So, the bill I put
0:10:14 > 0:10:17forward today is simple but significant, it allows maternity
0:10:17 > 0:10:23allowance to be sheared in blocks between freelance parents,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26replicating the weird sheared printed leave for those works a more
0:10:26 > 0:10:30conventional employment. If there, is progressive, it's a bill to
0:10:30 > 0:10:35complement current government policy not disturb it, help close a debt --
0:10:35 > 0:10:39gender pay gap proving to the world it's serious and I commend this bill
0:10:39 > 0:10:45to the House.As many as a bar that evidence As many as are of the
0:10:45 > 0:10:49opinion, say "aye"., on the contrary know. The "Aye's" habit, the "Aye's"
0:10:49 > 0:10:56have it. Who will bring the bill? Alisson, Caroline Lucas, Joe
0:10:56 > 0:11:03Swinson, Tom Watson, Kevin Brennan, Emma Reynolds, Lucy, Rachael Reeves,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Rebecca Caledon Bailey, and myself sir.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Here, here.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Shared parental leave and paid extension bill.May the 11th.May
0:11:43 > 0:11:48the 11th, thank you.