Shared Parental Leave Ten Minute Rule Bill

We come now to the ten minute rule

notion.

Thank you Mr Speaker, I

picked the moves that these would be

given to bring in a bill to make

provision about shared parental

leave and pay for workers including

those that are self-employed and for

connected purposes. I would like to

begin by paying tribute to those who

had been campaigning for the

provisions in this bill. I would not

be preventing you here today if it

was not for their work and

dedication in pushing shared

parental leave for all onto the

event -- agenda. Who gave music,

equity,... The self-employed are not

just clustered around the creative

industries, the whole world of work

is changing. More and more people

are close to or freelance working in

the economy. 15% of British workers

defined himself as freelance. The

deal, gleaners, Wilders, that

drivers, journalists, engineers,

were drivers, printer, decorator,

literally anyone can the

self-employed. But 9% of women and a

16% of men aren't eligible to share

parental pay because they are

self-employed. And there are 24,000

self-employed mums claiming

maternity allowance who would

benefit from this bill. What is

encouraging is that the government

no shared parental leave is

important. It was a positive and

radical step introduced by the

Coalition government in 2015. Sadly,

not enough families are taking the

opportunity because we're many

employers have enhanced maternity

schemes, for most employees, such

schemes don't exist, meaning many

families would be worse off if this

-- if they signed up to it. And for

most, keeping the family finances in

the black is a priority. So, it was

good to see you last week, the

government brought out their

advertising campaign, share the joy

to get more dads to take of their

entitlement. A welcome push when

only a disappointing 2% of employees

take shared parental leave.

Unfortunately, the problems around

take-up will never be clearer than

when the Minister responsible for

shared parental leave the honourable

member for Barton revealed last week

that while doing a media round to

promote the policy that he was in

fact as I minister not eligible. I

don't mention this to embarrass the

member in any way, but simply to use

it as an example of how the culture

around sure to leave these two

change. To do that, we need to get

more people more choice. Parity

between the traditionally employed

and self and bright and this will go

-- will do just that. Currently,

self-employed mums have given birth

must take is vegetarian maternity

allowance in one go. They can't

return to work for a month or two

then resume their allowance. My

bill, without all freelance partners

to decide who sees the allowance, so

mum can take a block when she is

ready, or wants to reenter the

workplace, while the family who

receives the regular income from the

maternity allowance. A simple way of

replicating shared parental leave

for a freelancer is at no extra cost

to the taxpayer. A move which I

think will send a strong message to

the country that not only do we

understand the changing face of

work, but we believe that men and

women are valued equally in the home

and the workplace. I'd also said the

ministers if the policy was extended

to the self-employed and

freelancers, I believe there

wouldn't be any problem with poor

take-up. A survey conducted by

parental pay quality, fawned over

70% of freelancers for those with

freelance partners would use the

scheme if it was available for them

in the future. I change to our

cultural norms doesn't happen

overnight. But I believe the

self-employed can blaze a trail in

leading the way in helping us to get

to a place where it assumed that

partners can and indeed should

shoulder a significant amount of the

child care. So, if the numbers of

freelancers that would take up

should border and -- printed leave

are significant, why are we holding

back? For those under current

legislation are self employed mum is

entitled to maternity allowance of

£140, 98p per week for 39 weeks if

they have paid class to National

Insurance for at least 13 of the 66

weeks before the baby is due.

Maternity allowance is paid only two

mums. If that is withdrawn, if the

freelance mum does any work beyond

the secretary ten keeping in touch

bases allowed so for example if a

freelance took a short contract job

that lasted for longer than ten days

she'd immediately lose a maternity

allowance and would be able to reply

but if she's an employee on

maternity leave can work freelance

so long as she doesn't break the

terms of her employment contract and

still get her maternity pay. Far

from ideal and a difficult Catch-22

position for self-employed woman.

Stay off work and keep the allowance

for the full 39 weeks or take the

risk of taking a one-off job that

might not result in regular money. A

stressful decision for anyone that

are not result in regular money. A

stressful decision for anyone let

alone a sleep deprived run by women

we know there are many families out

there who might benefit from sharing

the Paterno leaves so why is it

important we do it now? Because this

type of work, freelance

self-employed contract base is on

the rise. We know from the awareness

that at least four million people

are employed in insecure freelance

self-employed work, the government

has stated his desire to tackle the

problem is the sort of employment

can create. Less security, fewer

rights, often mistake that more

conventional employments.

Self-employment and the economy has

recently been the subject of

detailed review. And after Matthew

Taylor had hours of submissions and

many detailed recommendations, he

conceded that the government should

address and I quote parental leave

in particular where self-employed

people lose out. This is our chance

to get it on the agenda. Because,

freelance self-employed and insecure

work is new, it's been the feature

of creative industries for decades.

44% of the creative industries are

self-employed. I worked in it for

over 30 years and my partner still

does. It can be tough to pay the

bills. Working hours are flexible

with project based employment and

certainty, precariousness and

irregular and often unreliable

payments. No 95, very little

stability, while looking for work

can take up as nearly as much time

as doing the job. But today, the

working patents and insecurities of

the creative industries aren't an

anomaly, they are becoming the norm.

And for any freelance couple the

idea of starting a family can be

terrifying, another mouth to feed,

no guarantee of work. Obviously, for

any new parents money is tight, but

for those in the dig economy

insecure work it even more so.

Employing 2 million people the

creative industries are a success

story, the areas of improvement

remain. More often than not, it's

the woman who embraces on her career

to bring up her family. She's the

one that steps out of the industry

because to freelancers can't make

the finances work. Or once back at

work she's the one expected to stay

up with the children goes part-time

to fit school hours or the one

expected to dash home early when

childcare falls through. And you

only have to look at the recent

awards to see how bearing the bulk

of childcare can impact on career

progression. Women still lag behind

men when they are dishing out and

the statistics back it up. According

to research from reading films, 74%

of creative workers surveyed turned

down work because they were

appearing. 22% said their career had

come to a halt or stopped altogether

once they had a child. Although

talents, all that training,

dedication, lost because there's not

enough support for self-employed

families with young children. So, we

need to change the culture and to do

it, we need to start right at the

beginning with the baby is born. As

I mentioned at the beginning of this

speech, and I know how much the

Treasury bench appreciate a good

deal so I think it's worth

repeating, what I propose is coming

at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Maternity allowance is already paid

to new mothers, it's a win-win for

the Treasury. It also means men

having more of a chance to spend

time with their babies. Allowing

women to pick up opportunities as

they present themselves. And

although I personally believe the

amount of the allowance should be

increased, this bill isn't about

that. This bill is simply to give

freelancers and the self-employed

the right to share the current

allowance. So, the bill I put

forward today is simple but

significant, it allows maternity

allowance to be sheared in blocks

between freelance parents,

replicating the weird sheared

printed leave for those works a more

conventional employment. If there,

is progressive, it's a bill to

complement current government policy

not disturb it, help close a debt --

gender pay gap proving to the world

it's serious and I commend this bill

to the House.

As many as a bar that

evidence As many as are of the

opinion, say "aye"., on the contrary

know. The "Aye's" habit, the "Aye's"

have it. Who will bring the bill?

Alisson, Caroline Lucas, Joe

Swinson, Tom Watson, Kevin Brennan,

Emma Reynolds, Lucy, Rachael Reeves,

Rebecca Caledon Bailey, and myself

sir.

Here, here.

Shared parental leave and paid

extension bill.

May the 11th.

May

the 11th, thank you.