Backed by the Tory government, the Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill, which aims to make it easier for employees to access leave should their partners die during childbirth, has passed its first reading in the House of Commons.

Proposed by Labour MP Chris Elmore, the bill seeks “a day-one right to leave for parents in the most tragic of circumstances” and ensure workers receive “guaranteed leave entitlement to process the grief and change in personal circumstances, along with a job to return to when they are able to do so”.