Parents who suffer the devastating loss of a child will be entitled to 2 weeks’ statutory leave, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced today as she laid new regulations in Parliament.

The Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Regulations, which will be known as Jack’s Law in memory of Jack Herd whose mother Lucy campaigned tirelessly on the issue, will implement a statutory right to a minimum of 2 weeks’ leave for all employed parents if they lose a child under the age of 18, or suffer a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy, irrespective of how long they have worked for their employer.

This is the most generous offer on parental bereavement pay and leave in the world, set to take effect from April.

Parents will be able to take the leave as either a single block of 2 weeks, or as 2 separate blocks of one week each taken at different times across the first year after their child’s death. This means they can match their leave to the times they need it most, which could be in the early days or over the first anniversary.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said:

There can be few worse experiences in life than the loss of a child and I am proud that this government is delivering ‘Jack’s Law’, making us the first country in the world to do so.

When it takes effect, Jack’s Law will be a fitting testament to the tireless efforts of Lucy Herd, alongside many charities, to give parents greater support.

Lucy Herd said:

In the immediate aftermath of a child dying, parents have to cope with their own loss, the grief of their wider family, including other children, as well as a vast amount of administrative paperwork and other arrangements. A sudden or accidental death may require a post-mortem or inquest; there is a funeral to arrange; and there are many other organisations to contact, from schools to benefit offices.

When I started this campaign 10 years ago after the death of my son Jack, I always hoped that a positive change would happen in his memory. Knowing that nearly 10 years of campaigning has helped create ‘Jack’s Law’ is the most wonderful feeling, but it is bittersweet at the same time. I am so grateful to all those involved who have helped make this possible. I was told many times that I would not succeed but Jack’s Law will now ensure that bereaved parents are better protected in the future.

Kevin Hollinrake MP, the sponsor of the original Private Member’s Bill, said:

Losing a child is every parent’s worst fear, but no-one could ever fully understand the utter devastation of such a loss. Whilst most employers are compassionate and generous in these situations, some are not, so I was delighted to be able to help make leave for bereaved parents a legal right.

Clea Harmer, Chief Executive at Sands, said:

Sands welcomes and fully supports the new Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Act, that will ensure all bereaved parents will have a right to at least 2 weeks’ paid leave from work in addition to their existing parental leave entitlement.

Having the legal right to 2 weeks of paid leave will make a big difference to bereaved parents affected by stillbirth or neonatal death; so we are very pleased that they have been specifically recognised in the Act.

All employers need to ensure they know about this important change in the law and what additional support they can offer to bereaved parents in their workplace, as this is vital time for them in their grieving process.

Steven Wibberley, Chief Executive of Cruse Bereavement Care, said:

We are delighted that the new paid bereavement leave entitlement is one step closer to coming into force. It will make a huge difference to bereaved parents across the country, whose lives have been shattered by the death of a child.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that parents are given time and space to grieve in the aftermath of a child’s death. Support from employers can play a huge part in this. We are pleased the government has laid out the minimum provision for bereaved parents, and we know many employers will go much further than this.

We look forward to working with the government to ensure employers know about these changes, and to support bereaved parents in their workforce.

Alison Penny, Coordinator of the National Bereavement Alliance said:

Many parents are forced to make hard choices about returning to work at a desperately difficult time following their child’s death, fearing loss of pay or job security if they take time off.

We welcome the significant step the government has made in introducing minimum provision for parents, and would like to see employers demonstrate a genuine commitment to grieving colleagues by treating them compassionately and with the support they need.

Sarah Harris Director of Bereavement Support and Education at Child Bereavement UK added:

Child Bereavement UK welcomes this change in legislation and the recognition it gives to the impact of the death of a child.

The opportunity for leave at a time that feels right for bereaved parents will help reduce a potential source of additional stress, and paid leave will give time to make decisions based on need rather than financial situation.

Around 7,500 child deaths, including around 3,000 stillbirths, occur in the UK every year. The government estimates that this new entitlement will help to support around 10,000 parents a year.

The right to parental bereavement leave and pay makes the UK one of a very few countries worldwide to offer such support, and the first to offer a full 2 weeks. It will come into force on 6 April 2020, subject to Parliamentary approval of the legislation being laid today. Parents employed in a job for 6 months or more will also be able to claim statutory pay for this period, in line with the approach for other parental entitlements, such as paternity leave and pay.

This new law arrives ahead of the government’s new Employment Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech in December, which will introduce a raft of further measures to benefit workers and businesses including carer’s leave and neonatal pay.

Please contact the BEIS press office if you would like to speak to Lucy Herd (020 7215 2982 / 020 7215 1000). The charities listed also have spokespeople.

The entitlement to 2 weeks paid bereavement leave is the longest period worldwide, making the UK’s offer the most generous in the world.

The right to Parental Bereavement Leave (PBL) will apply to all employed parents who lose a child under the age of 18, or suffer a stillbirth (from 24 weeks of pregnancy), irrespective of how long they have been with their employer (the leave is a ‘day-one’ employment right).

Parents with at least 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer and weekly average earnings over the lower earning limit (£118 per week for 2019 to 2020) will also be entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP), paid at the statutory rate of £148.68 per week (for 2019 to 2020), or 90% of average weekly earnings where this is lower.

SPBP will be administered by employers in the same way as existing family-related statutory payments such as Statutory Paternity Pay.

Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince will announce today, (Thursday 23rd January 2020) during a visit to HM Prison Barlinnie, that it is the latest prison to take part in a scheme where those close to release are to be offered dedicated work coaches.

They will look to support them back into employment as quickly as possible, and ensure they are able to access finance once they leave prison.

Working with the Scottish Prison Service, the scheme has been trialled in HM Prison Cornton Vale and HM Prison Perth since September.

The trial at HM Prison Barlinnie will be further enhanced, as it will include prisoners being given access to a new dedicated telephone line. This will mean they are able to make their Universal Credit claim over the telephone, with their identification being verified before they leave prison.

Will Quince, Minister for Welfare Delivery, said:

Better preparing prisoners for life on the outside helps them unlock employment opportunities once they’re released.

Without access to work or money, some can feel pushed to re-offend, and this pilot aims to take prisoners out of the cycle of crime and get them into work. This has benefits for both them and the wider economy.

Working together with the Scottish Prison Service, the UK government is determined to ensure ex-offenders stay out of prison for good.

Jobcentre staff will support prisoners to obtain identification documents, prepare their CVs and identify training, work experience and other employment support.

They will be given help to fill in their benefit claims through restricted and supervised access to computers, and to the dedicated phone line where those eligible will be able to arrange a payment on the day of their release.

Currently, prisoners at HM Prison Barlinnie are unable to start a Universal Credit claim until they are released, and this can lead to delays in receiving support if they do not have proper identification documents, or are unable to get to the jobcentre to verify their identity.

Failure to find work is one of the biggest drivers of reoffending. Recent statistics show that in Scotland, one in four ex-offenders were reconvicted within 12 months of being released.

Almost 250,000 people in Scotland are receiving Universal Credit, which includes tailored employment support. It is helping record numbers of people into work, with on average 1,000 more people in the UK going into work every day since 2010.

In Scotland there are 2.65 million people employed, which is up 18,000 on the quarter and up 217,000 on 2010.

• Department for Work and Pensions provides a range of support to help prisoners/ex-offenders re-establish themselves back in the community and into work

• ex-offenders are prioritised for access to Alternative Payments in Universal Credit, including benefit payments paid more frequently than monthly and housing costs paid direct to the landlord

• prisoners who are serving short-term sentences, or are on remand in custody, are able to retain support with housing costs to safeguard their tenancy and prevent them from becoming homeless on release

• 131 DWP Prison Work Coaches across Great Britain work with local partners and employers to help secure training, work experience and employment opportunities for prisoners

• our See Potential guidance encourages employers to recognise the benefits of employing people from disadvantaged groups, including ex-offenders

• the See Potential toolkit incorporates a range of tips on recruiting those with criminal records, including spent and unspent convictions. It also contains testimonials from businesses who have already hired ex-offenders

• between 2016 and 2017, 27.2% of offenders were reconvicted within a year

• in Scotland, we are delivering flexibilities in Universal Credit payments known as Scottish Choices on behalf of the Scottish Government. People receiving full service Universal Credit can choose if they want to be paid twice monthly, and they have the option to have the housing element of their Universal Credit award paid directly to their landlords.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 3267 5144

Follow DWP on:

Secretary General, this is a very significant year for the organisation, as many speakers have said. We were honored that the first meetings of the General Assembly and Security Council actually took place in London and are now Queen, then before she became sovereign, attended them. So we feel very close to this anniversary. And I think other speakers are quite right that we need to put the emphasis on what will keep the UN able to discharge its noble functions effectively for the decades to come.

At picking up on what you said, Secretary-General. I think there are three priorities. Firstly, grasping your call to action, using the Decade of Action to realise the SDGs and fulfil the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda. This is actually a last chance for the international community to do this by 2030.

Secondly, we agree with the need to galvanize urgent international action on climate change. And the Italian ambassador already referred to our joint work on COP 26. So we want to get a coherent roadmap, building towards Glasgow, where COP 26 will be held via the UN’s Oceans, Biodiversity and Nature Summits.

And lastly, we want to do more to help the UN uphold the rules-based international system. And I think that means making the UN a safer and more welcoming space for civil society, not allowing narrow interpretations of sovereignty to override genuine concerns about human rights violations and abuses. And I think that also means we need to use the other anniversaries this year, notably the 25th anniversary of Beijing and the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1325 to advance international norms, including on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights. As both the Italian and Irish ambassador have said.

My question, Secretary General, would be around girls education. If I may, how can we make progress on this as part of the commitment to gender equality? I think a 131 million girls don’t go to school around the world. We have pledged nearly $700 million to try and get 12 million children into school. But as you can see, that’s only 12 million of more than 100. So your thoughts on that would be welcome.

Thank you.

EN 17270:2019 Animal feeding stuffs: Methods of sampling and analysis – Determination of theobromine in feed materials and compound feed, including cocoa derived ingredients, by liquid chromatography

Theobromine (3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-H-purine-2,6-Dione) is naturally present in cocoa products and by-products. Theobromine can have an adverse impact on livestock animals and because of this susceptibility to theobromine toxic effects feed manufacturers do not include by-products of cocoa manufacture or confectionery by-products in feeds especially for dogs and horses.

EN 17270 describes a method for the determination of theobromine in compound feed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to an ultraviolet detector (LC-UV) having a detection range of 27 to 307 mg/kg and validated using a compound feed intended for adult dogs and complementary compound feedstuff for horses.

The standard also describes the method using liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer detector (LC-MS/MS) with a detection range of 49 to 307 mg/kg.

Both detection systems demonstrated applicability in the determination of theobromine in baking chocolate.

The method validation study in support of EN 17270 is published; Kirstin M Gray and D Thorburn Burns, 2019, Validation of a Method for the Determination of Theobromine in Feed Materials and Compound Feeds by Liquid Chromatography with UV Detection or with Tandem Mass Spectrometry, J. Assoc. Public Analysts, 47, 1-35

EN 17256:2019 Animal feeding stuffs: Methods of sampling and analysis – Determination of ergot alkaloids and tropane alkaloids in feed materials and compound feeds by LC-MS/MS

Ergot alkaloids and tropane alkaloids are toxic compounds that may be present in cereal crops.

Ergot alkaloids are generated by a fungus infection of the cereal producing a number of alkaloids including ergocornine, ergocorninine ergocristine, α-ergocryptine etc. Tropane alkaloids such as atropine and scopolamine compounds are naturally present in Brassicaceae or Solanaceae plant families that includes mandrake, henbane and deadly nightshade. These tropane alkaloids may contaminate cereals through contamination with seeds from henbane, deadly nightshade etc.

EN 17256 describes a validated method for the determination of specific ergot alkaloids and tropane alkaloids in unprocessed cereals and cereal-based compound feeds using high performance liquid coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer detector (LC-MS/MS).

Validation of the method involved a collaborative trial for the cereals rye, barley, wheat and feed for bovine, porcine and poultry. The range of the method is stated as approximately 10 to 250 µg/kg for individual alkaloids.

EN 17194:2019 Animal feeding stuffs: Methods of sampling and analysis – Determination of Deoxynivalenol, Aflatoxin B1, Fumonisin B1 & B2, T-2 & HT-2 toxins, Zearalenone and Ochratoxin A in feed materials and compound feed by LC-MS/MS

Aflatoxin B1, trichothecenes including deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1 & B2, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin and zearalenone are mycotoxins produced by fungi growing on cereals and cereal products, peanuts and dried fruits. Some mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects in humans including cancer (genotoxic).

Commission Recommendation 2013/165/EU provides indicative levels concerning the presence of T-2 and HT-2 toxin in feed and food along with Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting limits for aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1 & B2, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin and zearalenone.

EN 17194 describes a method for determining trichothecenes and zearalenone mycotoxins in feed and compound feed using solid phase extraction (SPE) and determination by liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometer detector (LC-MS/MS).

Solid phase extraction (SPE) involves adding the homogenised feed sample to the acetonitrile/formic acid solution in order to extract the mycotoxins from the feed material followed by centrifuging to separate the feed material from solution. An aliquot of the supernatant solution is removed and combined with a known quantity of stable isotope analogues and evaporated forming a mycotoxin residue that is re-dissolved in the injection solvent for determination by LC-MS/MS.

EN 17194:2019 indicates laboratories are required to meet specified limits of quantitation (LOQ) in order to be able to apply the method over the validation range with the following LOQ limits specified: deoxynivalenol ≤ 100 µg/kg, aflatoxin B1 and B2 ≤ 500 µg/kg, T-2 & HT-2 toxins ≤ 10 µg/kg, zearalenone ≤ 20 µg/kg and ochratoxin A ≤ 10 µg/kg.

EN 17194:2019 supports Regulation (EC) 2017/625 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (Applicable 14 December 2019).

CEN/TR 17421:2019 Animal feeding stuffs: Methods of sampling and analysis – Recommendations for the organization and evaluation of collaborative studies for multi-analyte methods of analysis

CEN/TR 17421 provides guidance to laboratories in the design, operation and evaluation of collaborative studies using multi-analyte methods developed by CEN/TC 327 Animal Feeding-Stuffs Working Group.

The guidance helps laboratories to consider the impact of deviations to multi-analyte methods when changes, which might be contrary to prescribed validation protocols, are necessary in conducting collaborative trials to ensure the method is still fit for purpose.

A technical specification (TS) is an approved normative document setting specifications in experimental and/or evolving technologies.

Regular updates to changes in food and feed legislation published by the Government Chemist:

Food and feed law: Compendium of UK food and feed legislation with associated context and changes during July to September 2019 – Government Chemist Programme Report

Thank you Mr President. Before I start, I just want to pick up on what both the American and the German Ambassador said about the Holocaust commemoration, which takes place this year – a very important commemoration – and the fact that some of us will be joining the Secretary-General at the weekend in New York to commemorate this important anniversary.

Mr President, turning to the Open Debate;

The year 2020 opened with a new crisis in the Middle East, following the killing of Qasem Soleimani, in response to strikes by Iraqi militias against coalition bases, and the downing of Ukrainian Airlines flight 752. The United Kingdom continues to urge all parties to de-escalate following the events and for Iran to take the opportunity to come in from the cold and pursue its legitimate interests in the region peacefully, with full respect for international rules.

I’d like to echo what German representative said about recognition of Israel in this context.

Mr President, as demonstrated by the briefings we’ve heard today, it’s right that this Council also remains engaged to resolve one of the longest standing conflicts on its agenda, the Israeli Palestinian conflict. We have made clear our concern that the situation on the ground, which, as the Secretary-General noted in his assessment last month, has deteriorated over the last three years. And the figures that the Under-Secretary-General quoted are troubling and compelling.

All sides have a responsibility to arrest this deterioration and to create an atmosphere more conducive to peace. For Israel, this means:

(i) An immediate halt to settlement expansion. We condemn the Israeli government’s advancement this month of yet more plans, for over 1,900 housing units across the West Bank. It is the UK’s longstanding position that settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the viability of the two-state solution.

(ii) The avoidance of any suggestion that parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories should be annexed. Such a move would be contrary to international law, damaging to peace efforts and could not pass unchallenged.

(iii) An immediate end to the demolition of Palestinian-owned homes and structures, as well as the eviction of Palestinians from their homes. The targeting of donor-funded structures in Area C is of particular concern. We call on the Israeli authorities to provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Turning to Palestinians’ responsibilities:

(i) We unreservedly condemn the indiscriminate attacks against Israeli civilians by groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Such attacks are completely unacceptable, a violation of international law, and need to cease immediately.

(ii) There should be renewed efforts toward Palestinian reconciliation. We encourage those involved in the reconciliation process to allow the Palestinian Authority to fully resume its government functions in Gaza, and ensure compliance with the Quartet Principles.

(iii) We call on the Palestinian Authority to set a date for free and fair elections in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza as soon as possible. Genuine democratic national elections for all Palestinians are crucial to the establishment of a viable and sovereign Palestinian State.

Mr President, this Council has a role to play in identifying and containing future flashpoints in conflicts. The resumption of the Great March of Return protests in March is one such possible flashpoint. Hamas operatives have cynically exploited these protests in the past.

Mr President, the United Kingdom’s commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering. Any protests must adhere to the principle of non-violence. We reiterate our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF police non-violent protests, including the use of live ammunition and excessive force, and call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality.

Turning to the economic and humanitarian situation in Gaza, as we have heard this remains dire. The United Kingdom will provide around $21million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza in 2019/2020. And to help address the underlying causes we are more than tripling our spend on Economic Development programming providing $75m between 2018 and 2023. Ultimately, only peace, stability and the easing of movement and access restrictions will allow necessary investments to be made in a sustainable way.

Mr President, we understand and share the deep frustration on all sides at the lack of progress on the Middle East Peace Process. A just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. We remain committed to achieving a two-State solution, and our long standing position is clear. We support a negotiated settlement recognised by all sides, leading to a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as a shared capital of both states and a just fair agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. We look forward to working with colleagues to advance our shared objectives of peace and prosperity in the year ahead.

Thank you, Mr President.