Clarification by Minister, Prime Minister's Office

12.05 pm

The Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I would like to make a clarification in relation to two written answers on childcare leave issued by the Prime Minister's Office on 25 September 2025 and 3 February 2026 in response to Parliamentary Questions filed by Members of Parliament Ms Cassandra Lee and Ms Valerie Lee respectively. [Please refer to "Addressing Reasons for Underutilisation of Parental Leave Benefits", Official Report, 25 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 5, Written Answers to Questions section, and Data on Leave Days taken by Parents Due to Childcare Centre Closures or Children Falling Ill", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]

The answers cited the 2023 take-up rate of childcare leave by mothers as 58%. The correct figure ought to be 59%. I would therefore like to make this clarification to correct the record. Thank you.

Mr Speaker: Order.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]