The following section is inserted after section 11B of the Principal Act:

"11C. Postponement of leave on hospitalisation of child.

(1) If -

(a) an adopted child is in hospital, and

(b) the child's adopting parent ('the employee') is entitled to, or is on, adoptive leave or additional adoptive leave,

the employee may request the employer in writing (or cause such a request to be made) to postpone in accordance with this section -

(i) the whole of the adoptive leave and any additional adoptive leave,

(ii) the part of the adoptive leave not by then taken and any additional adoptive leave, or

(iii) the whole of the additional adoptive leave or any part not by then taken,

as appropriate.

(2) If the employer agrees to the request -

(a) the employee shall continue to work or, as the case may be, shall return to work on a date agreed by the employee and employer that is not later than the date on which the leave concerned is due to end in accordance with the notification given under section 7 or (as the case may be) given, or deemed under subsection (5) to have been given, under section 8(3),

(b) the leave concerned shall be postponed or, as the case may be, postponed with effect from the date agreed under paragraph (a),