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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan will become the second Cabinet minister to take maternity leave after she announced she is expecting a baby next year.
She said she will be taking a “short” break from her Governmental role but will still be “on hand throughout” to support her constituents in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
The law had to be changed to allow Suella Braverman to go on maternity leave last year, with Michael Ellis filing her role at the time of attorney general.
My husband & I are very excited & blessed to be expecting a baby next year. I’ll be taking a short maternity leave from DCMS. I’ll reduce the number of constituency visits during this time but I shall still be on hand throughout to help local residents supported by my great team.
— Michelle Donelan MP (@michelledonelan) December 14, 2022
It was not immediately clear whether Ms Donelan will be covered in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) during her leave.
Ms Donelan tweeted: “My husband & I are very excited & blessed to be expecting a baby next year. I’ll be taking a short maternity leave from DCMS.
“I’ll reduce the number of constituency visits during this time but I shall still be on hand throughout to help local residents supported by my great team.”
Before the law change, the covering minister would not have been able to have been paid if their colleague took paid maternity leave.
But the Maternity Allowances Act 2021 introduced formal paid leave.
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