A NORTH Yorkshire MP is trying to push a law through Parliament that will make sure parents coping with the loss of a child get paid time off work.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, has drawn up a Private Member’s Bill (PMS) which would make it a legal requirement for employers to give bereaved parents two weeks off on statutory pay.

Mr Hollinrake was lucky in the ballot MPs enter to win a chance to introduce a PMB, coming out eighth.

York Press:

That result gives him a good chance of getting a bill through Parliament and into law, the MP said, and he was inspired to take up the cause of grieving parents partly by the work of Helmsley woman Annika Dowson, whose daughter Gypsy was stillborn in 2008.

The law should help anyone who loses a child in pregnancy or under the age of 18, he said, with some final details to be sorted.

Mr Hollinrake said: “Currently there is no statutory requirement for employers to let those people take any time off. Most people are surprised when you tell them that - losing a child has to be the worst thing that could happen to anyone as a parent.”

He has support from both sides of the house and from ministers, Mr Hollinrake said, and yesterday the bill was due to be presented in the House of Commons. the second reading, which includes the debate, should take place sometime after the summer, he added.

“This is something I feel is really important, and also has a good chance of getting through.”

Annika said she was extremely pleased her MP was taking up the cause.

“This will affect so many people. It’s a practical thing, but it’s very valuable.

Bereaved parents need time for things like funeral arrangements, and knowing they could take two weeks without worrying about money would be a real reassurance for people going through a horrible time, she added. Annika said: “It would give people two weeks to look after their partner, to get their head sorted, to arrange a funeral. It’s really important, you don’t want to be worrying about where money is coming from.

“It’s not just about tears or time to cuddle your wife, it’s sorting out things - necessities that you can’t do when you’re working.”