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Leading early years organisation the Early Years Alliance has criticised the government for its response to a recent Petitions Committee report on the impact of Covid-19 on parental leave.

The Committee's report, published in July 2020, made several recommendations on steps the government should take to support new parents, including extending parental leave and pay for families during the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuring that the childcare sector has sufficient funding to provide the care needed for parents to return to work, both in the short- and long-term.

However, in a brief  published today, the government stated that it is "still not persuaded that there is a need to extend entitlements to paid Maternity Leave at this time" and hopes that "employers will encourage their staff to make full use of the suite of entitlements to time off work that is available to them." The response made no reference to the numerous other recommendations made in the report, including the recommendation on childcare funding.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: 

"It's incredibly disappointing - and frankly, insulting to the many thousands of parents who signed the petition on parental leave - that the government has seen fit to issue such a dismissive response to the Petitions Committee's important report.

"New parents have been almost entirely overlooked during this period and the government's decision not to extend parental leave or take any definitive action to ensure that those on leave are adequately supported, is wholly indefensible.

"Worst still, the government hasn't even bothered to respond to the many other very valid recommendations made by the committee, including the call to ensure that the childcare sector is adequately funded in the short- and long-term to ensure that those parents who want to return to work are able to do so.

"We welcome the Committee's decision to schedule this issue for a Parliamentary debate and hope the government will take the opportunity to rethink this decision and ensure that parents of young children get the support they need during this incredibly difficult time."