MP tells Commons of Rotherham pair's surrogate mums campaign

WENTWORTH MP John Healey is backing a campaign by two Rotherham women to win a change in the law on maternity rights for surrogate mums.

Mr Healey is leading a cross-party group of MPs who are due to meet employment minister Norman Lamb to discuss how the law might be changed to give a fairer deal to all mums.

Jane Kassim and Amy Bellamy started their campaign after discovering that Jane was not entitled to any maternity leave or pay despite being the biological mum to twins being carried by Amy, her cousin, as a surrogate.

Amy agreed to be a surrogate for Jane and her husband Adis after Jane had been told she could never carry children herself.

Last week, Mr Healey brought a Ten Minute Rule Bill in the Commons calling for mums like Jane who have babies through a surrogate to be given equal maternity rights.

Mr Healey also said the UK system of transferring legal responsibility for the child via a parental order should be looked at, with new mums like Jane currently having to apply for parental responsibility after the birth.

Surrogate mum expecting cousin's twins. Previous story, click here.

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