BUSINESS SECRETARY Jonathan Reynolds refused today to commit to supporting a Commons amendment to extend bereavement entitlement for miscarriages before 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Mr Reynolds suggested there may be a “better mechanism” to address the issue than the Employment Rights Bill, which the women and equalities committee has said it intends to amend.

Currently, employees are eligible for statutory parental bereavement leave and pay if a stillbirth occurs after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

But there is no specific entitlement for losses occurring earlier, such as miscarriage.

The committee’s proposed amendment seeks to make the two-week statutory bereavement leave available to parents grieving a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

Mr Reynolds told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It’s very, very difficult and, of course, the campaign being put forward there, I’m sympathetic to what they’re trying to achieve.

“I haven’t seen the amendment yet, because the report stage hasn’t been scheduled and then we’ll be able to get that.

“I’ve got to balance the rights in that Bill against the overall burdens on business.”

More than one in five pregnancies ends before 24 weeks, with 10 to 20 per cent lost within the first 12 weeks.