A Nottinghamshire MP is hoping to create a new law after a Beeston dad found out that he was not entitled to parental leave following his wife's death. Aaron Horsey lost his wife Bernadette whilst she was giving birth to their son Tim on January 19.
He then found out that he was not entitled to shared parental leave and, although he was eventually given alternative support by his employers, Mr Horsey raised the gap in current legislation with Broxtowe's Conservative MP Darren Henry. Mr Henry first raised the matter in the House of Commons back in November and, following a meeting with a Government minister, he has now officially presented a ten minute rule bill to try and change the law.
A ten minute rule bill allows a backbench MP to make their case for a new law in a speech of no more than ten minutes. The House of Commons then decides whether it should be introduced, the first step in it becoming law.
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Explaining in his speech why the current law needed to be strengthened, Darren Henry said: "To be eligible for shared parental leave and statutory shared parental pay, both parents must share responsibility for the child at birth and meet work and pay criteria. Practically speaking, a surviving partner could be entitled to take shared parental leave but they would not meet the criteria I have just mentioned.
"Aaron did not. That means that, under this requirement, many will not qualify for shared parental leave and pay. This bill seeks to correct that."
Aaron Horsey was in the House of Commons' public gallery whilst the bill was being introduced. Since first raising the matter, Darren Henry says he has been contacted by several others with similar experiences to Aaron's.
His bill successfully cleared its first stage after being presented on Tuesday (December 20) and it will go to its next stage on January 20. Other Conservative Nottinghamshire MPs supporting the bill include Gedling's Tom Randall and Bassetlaw's Brendan Clarke-Smith.
In a statement after his speech, Darren Henry added: "As a father myself, I know that being a parent to a new-born is a huge undertaking at the best of times. I cannot imagine being in that position whilst facing the fact your partner has died during childbirth.
"I truly hope that no one has to find themselves in the position that Aaron did, unable to share the beginning of Tim's life with his loving wife. But it is the aim of this bill that for those who do, they do not find themselves without the law behind them."
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