There would be winners and losers in any changes to maternity and paternity pay.

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas told the House of Keys that there are plans to include the idea of shared leave in the next Employment Bill.

But he said that there are no plans to introduce statutory maternity and paternity pay.

’Any changes would affect individuals and businesses and as with all changes there would be winners and losers,’ he told MHKs.

Mr Thomas was asked by Lawrie Hooper (LibVan, Ramsey) whether he had any plans to better align maternity and paternity leave, or to introduce shared leave, or statutory maternity or paternity pay.

The Minister described these issues as ones of ’considerable public importance’.

Currently, female employees are entitled to at least 26 weeks’ unpaid ordinary maternity leave and, if they have 26 weeks’ continuous employment with their employer, up to 26 weeks’ unpaid additional maternity leave.

They are entitled to up to 39 weeks’ maternity allowance at a maximum of £179.85 a week provided they meet the qualifying conditions.

People who are adopting a child have similar rights to adoption leave and adoption allowances.

Employees are entitled to one or two weeks’ unpaid paternity leave in connection with birth or adoption provided they have 26 weeks’ continuous employment and they too can receive up to £179.85 a week in paternity allowance.

Shared leave was introduced in the UK in 2014, allowing a mother to share the balance of her maternity leave with the child’s other parent.

Mr Thomas said that take up of shared leave there has been very limited - under 3% - but the Department for Enterprise would nevertheless support its introduction in the island.

He said the DfE plans to include shared leave in its next Employment Bill.

Mr Thomas said statutory maternity and paternity pay has been considered previously but was ruled out because the administrative cost could hit employers - and indirectly the very employees who would qualify for the payments.

He accepted that there are some advantages to statutory payments over social security allowances, but said there are no current plans to introduce such a measure in the island.

But he added: ’If shared parental leave were introduced in the island then consideration would be given to introducing a new social security allowance payable to people on shared parental leave.’