(1) Subject to this Part, a pregnant employee shall be entitled to leave, to be known (and referred to in this Act) as 'maternity leave', from her employment for a period (in this Part referred to as 'the minimum period of maternity leave' of not less than

(a) 26 consecutive weeks, or

(b) 26 weeks part of which is postponed in accordance with section 14B or section 14C,

as may be appropriate.

(1A) Subject to this Part, a pregnant employee referred to in subsection (1) shall be entitled to a further period of maternity leave that is in addition to the minimum period of maternity leave referred to in paragraphs (a) or (b) of subsection (1), if, on or after 1 October 2017 the date of confinement occurs more than 2 weeks before the expected week of confinement.

(1B) The duration of the further period of maternity leave referred to in subsection (1A) shall be equal to the duration of the premature birth period.