The Government has published a wide-ranging Call for Evidence on its review of parental leave and pay, inviting views on how the existing system could “better support working families, reflect the modern economy, and deliver on the government’s Plan for Change and missions”.

The Call for Evidence explains that the existing system has developed incrementally into a “complex framework of employment and social security legislation” with no overarching set of objectives.

The review seeks to change this and the Government proposes that the objectives against which it will consider the current system and the case for any reform will be:

1. supporting physical and mental maternal health;
2. supporting economic growth by enabling more parents to stay in work and advance their careers;
3. ensuring that babies and young children have the best start in life; and
4. supporting parents to make “balanced childcare choices”.

Respondents to the Call for Evidence are not only asked whether they agree that these objectives should form the basis for any review, but also whether the existing parental leave and pay system supports these objectives.

The Call for Evidence is open until 26 August 2025, and can be read in full here.