{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-04-30&questionText=To+ask+the+Secretary+of+State+for+Business%2C+Innovation+and+Skills%2C+what+estimate+he+has+made+of+the+annual+%28a%29+total+cost+and+%28b%29+cost+per+%28i%29+female+and+%28ii%29+male+employee+of+maternity+and+paternity+leave.", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-04-30&questionText=To+ask+the+Secretary+of+State+for+Business%2C+Innovation+and+Skills%2C+what+estimate+he+has+made+of+the+annual+%28a%29+total+cost+and+%28b%29+cost+per+%28i%29+female+and+%28ii%29+male+employee+of+maternity+and+paternity+leave.", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-04-30&_metadata=all&questionText=To+ask+the+Secretary+of+State+for+Business%2C+Innovation+and+Skills%2C+what+estimate+he+has+made+of+the+annual+%28a%29+total+cost+and+%28b%29+cost+per+%28i%29+female+and+%28ii%29+male+employee+of+maternity+and+paternity+leave.", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-04-30&questionText=To+ask+the+Secretary+of+State+for+Business%2C+Innovation+and+Skills%2C+what+estimate+he+has+made+of+the+annual+%28a%29+total+cost+and+%28b%29+cost+per+%28i%29+female+and+%28ii%29+male+employee+of+maternity+and+paternity+leave.", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-04-30&questionText=To+ask+the+Secretary+of+State+for+Business%2C+Innovation+and+Skills%2C+what+estimate+he+has+made+of+the+annual+%28a%29+total+cost+and+%28b%29+cost+per+%28i%29+female+and+%28ii%29+male+employee+of+maternity+and+paternity+leave.", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-04-30&questionText=To+ask+the+Secretary+of+State+for+Business%2C+Innovation+and+Skills%2C+what+estimate+he+has+made+of+the+annual+%28a%29+total+cost+and+%28b%29+cost+per+%28i%29+female+and+%28ii%29+male+employee+of+maternity+and+paternity+leave.", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48125", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/48125/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Government carried out an analysis of the costs and benefits of providing leave for mothers and fathers in the impact assessment which accompanied its consultation on the administration of shared parental leave which was published in February 2013. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/110692/13-651-modern-workplaces-shared-parental-leave-and-pay-impact-assessment2.pdf<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>

The impact assessment reflects the fact that there are costs for both the Exchequer and business associated with the taking of maternity and paternity leave. Business costs include, for example, where employers provide occupational maternity or paternity schemes which go beyond the statutory minimum, and the costs associated with recruiting staff to cover a period of absence.<\/p>

<\/p>

In relation to Exchequer costs, the Government collects data on the total amount of statutory paternity pay and statutory maternity pay paid to employees by employers and uses this to estimate the numbers taking paternity/maternity leave and the size of average, or average weekly, claims. These figures represent the cost to the Exchequer rather than business as statutory payments can be reclaimed by the employer. The latest available figures for the costs to the Exchequer are as follows:<\/p>

<\/p>

Maternity pay and maternity allowance<\/strong><\/p>

<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Number of claimants commencing in year 2011/12<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Total claimed<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Average claim (2010/11)<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Maternity Pay<\/p><\/td>

355,000<\/p><\/td>

£2.2 billion<\/p><\/td>

£5,890<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

<\/p>

Source: Expenditure is from employer returns to HMRC and is the average amount recovered by employers. Average claim and spells commencing is based on L2 data (a 1% sample of HMRC National Insurance Contribution records). <\/strong><\/p>

<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Average number of claimants at any one time: May 2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Total Expenditure: 2012/13<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Average weekly claim: May 2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Maternity Allowance<\/p><\/td>

57,400<\/p><\/td>

£395 million<\/p><\/td>

£117.57<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

<\/strong><\/p>

Source: A combination of DWP accounting data and 5% Administrative Data. Further figures on Maternity Allowance are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maternity-allowance-quarterly-statistics<\/a><\/strong><\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>

Notes<\/strong><\/p>

  1. SMP<\/strong>Expenditure is subject to change due to late returns submitted by employers to HM Revenue and Customs.<\/strong><\/li>
  2. Maternity allowance weekly amounts are the average in payment at the end of May 2013.<\/strong><\/li>
  3. Maternity allowance claimants exclude a small number of clerical cases and only include those with a successful claim to Maternity Allowance. <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

    Paternity pay<\/strong><\/p>

    <\/p>

    <\/strong><\/p><\/td>

    Number of claimants<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

    Total claimed<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

    Average claim<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

    2012/13 <\/strong><\/p><\/td>

    <\/p><\/td><\/tr>

    Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay<\/p><\/td>

    208,600<\/p><\/td>

    £50.3 million<\/p><\/td>

    £241.25<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

    Additional Statutory Paternity Pay<\/p><\/td>

    3,867<\/p><\/td>

    £5.8 million<\/p><\/td>

    £1,218<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

    <\/p>

    Note: All figures are estimates using the HMRC CANDIF database. Figures are calculated using a 2% or 3% scan of employer National Insurance returns and scaling the results up to create a 100% estimate. Scan conducted in January 2014.<\/strong><\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1497", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jenny Willott"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cardiff Central"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jenny Willott"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-30T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-04-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the annual (a) total cost and (b) cost per (i) female and (ii) male employee of maternity and paternity leave.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4263", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lucy Powell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Manchester Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lucy Powell"} ], "uin" : "196413"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 1, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }