Government considers increase in parental leave

The Labour party is considering extending paid maternity leave for a further six months and giving fathers greater rights to time off, as part of its manifesto for a third term in government.

In a speech to the Social Market Foundation last month, children's minister Margaret Hodge said that the government should consider extending paid maternity leave to a year, but said: "We should not naturally assume that this role falls on the mother alone. Parents themselves, not government, are best placed to decide who should stay home and care for the child."

Hodge noted that too few fathers currently take time out of work to care for their child during the first year, and suggested that one way of addressing this is through the introduction of measures similar to Sweden's "daddy leave".

One month of the year-long parental leave permitted in Sweden (which is paid at 80% of the parent's earnings and can be taken at any time during the child's first eight years) is earmarked for fathers; another month is set aside for mothers, and the remainder can be split between the parents as they choose.

The introduction of this dedicated month for fathers has led to an increase in their share of parental leave, from less than 1% in 1974 to 17% in 2003.

Fathers in the UK have had a right since April 2003 to take up to two weeks' paternity leave, paid at £102.80 a week.