Written questions by Griffith.

Whether her Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.

Yes, subject to certain eligibility criteria, including having at least 26 weeks’ continuous service ending with the ‘qualifying week’ as set out in the legislation; and continuing to work in the department from the qualifying week until the date the baby is born or is placed for adoption. Some Home Office employees could qualify from their first day of service because they already have qualifying service with another Civil Service organisation.As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on the potential merits of the adoption of standalone 5G for the emergency services.

DSIT and the Home Office work closely on the technical requirements for commercial mobile coverage. ESN will operate over a commercial mobile network based on technology designed to evolve and improve alongside consumer technologies.Currently 4G offers best coverage and device availability and sufficient bandwidth for critical communications needs. ESN will use 5G standalone after its initial launch. Market trends suggest 4G and 5G will coexist for many years.