A petition calling on the UK Government to support a campaign to introduce paid miscarriage leave before 24 weeks has been launched by the SNP.

If the petition, started by Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley, receives enough support it could lead to a debate on the issue in Westminster.

The SNP MP said it will allow the public to “tell the Government directly how strongly they feel” on the matter.

Ms Crawley’s Private Member’s Bill seeks to grant three days of statutory paid leave to parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy.

It will have its second reading in the House of Commons in December.

The call comes after a joint letter from 50 cross-party MPs was last month sent to then prime minister Liz Truss and Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg urging the Government to lend its support.

Ms Crawley said: “There is political support at Westminster to introduce statutory paid miscarriage leave but the UK Government have yet to recognise this.

“By launching this petition, we are giving the public the chance to show their support for paid miscarriage leave and to tell the Government directly how strongly they feel and how important this issue is.

“If the UK Government get behind the Miscarriage Leave Bill, we can take a positive step towards eliminating the stigma associated with miscarriage and pregnancy loss as well as properly supporting parents who experience miscarriage before 24 weeks.”

The petition can be found online at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/623254.