Labour's MP's last night demanded that parliament introduce a more formal maternity and paternity scheme, as well as having their childcare costs paid and a salary increase to £100,000 a year.
The calls come on the back of the expenses saga which means that a much tougher expenses regime has been introduced. In a letter addressed to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the Labour party Women’s Committee, chaired by Barbara Follett indicated that female MP’s struggle with childcare because of parliament’s unsociable hours and has requested that childcare bills, sometimes of up to £18,000 a year, should be covered by the taxpayer. The committee added that 'Flexibility in childcare arrangements has to be paid for. We think it is wrong that individual MPs should bear the whole of this cost. A maternity and indeed paternity leave scheme should be in place for MPs.' The £18,000 includes £12,000 a year for the childcare costs themselves, £1,000 a year for accounting costs, £1,000 a year for cleaning and £500 for furniture and maintenance. No response to these demands has of yet been submitted. Whereforcare.co.uk is the childcare ratings and reviews website- if you can write a review of a childcare facility to help other parents, we would encourage you to do so or pass details of the website onto someone who can! |
