(1)The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 is amended as follows.
(2)In section 171ZC (further provision as to entitlement to statutory paternity pay)—
(a)in subsection (1) (requirement to give notice), for the words from “only if” to the end there is substituted “only if he gives the person who will be liable to pay it notice of the week or weeks in respect of which he expects there to be liability to pay him statutory paternity pay.”;
(b)after subsection (1) there is inserted—
“(1A)Regulations may provide for the time by which notice under subsection (1) is to be given.”
(3)In section 171ZE (rate and period of statutory paternity pay)—
(a)in subsection (2) (period of pay), for the words from “be payable” to the end there is substituted “be payable in respect of—
“(a)such week within the qualifying period, or
(b)such number of weeks, not exceeding the prescribed number of weeks, within the qualifying period,
as he may choose in accordance with regulations.”;
(b)after subsection (2) there is inserted—
“(2A)Provision under subsection (2)(b) is to secure that the prescribed number of weeks is not less than two.”;
(c)after subsection (2A) (as inserted by paragraph (b)) there is inserted—
“(2B)Regulations under subsection (2) may permit a person entitled to receive statutory paternity pay to choose to receive such pay in respect of non-consecutive periods each of which is a week or a number of weeks.”
(4)In section 176 (Parliamentary control of subordinate legislation), in subsection (1) (affirmative procedure), in paragraph (a), after “section 171ZE(1)” there is inserted “or (2)(b)”.