New fathers could be given six months off work to care for their babies.

Since April, new mothers have been entitled to higher maternity pay for six months and six months’ unpaid extra leave, bringing the total to a year. However, according to a report in the Times, the Trade and Industry Secretary is considering allowing fathers to take the second six months of unpaid leave off if their wives or partners want to return to work.

Patricia Hewitt said: “At the time we looked at extending maternity leave there were many people arguing that the extra six months we have now added on to maternity leave should be made available to the father.”

She continued: “We decided at that time not to offer it to fathers. But I am in favour of fathers being able to play a very active role in the children’s lives and having leave specific to fathers can definitely help. I want to look at how to take this whole package forward and six months off for fathers is one way of doing it, although there may be other ways.”

The Government has agreed that new arrangements introduced in April of this year will be given until 2006 to bed down. No new policies would be introduced before then, but time off for fathers is being looked at as part of a wider review.

Currently, new fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave and both parents can request flexible working arrangements if their children are under six years of age.

The Confederation of British Industry’s Deputy Director-General, John Cridland, condemned the new proposals saying that firms were only just getting used to the new measures. “Major new parental leave arrangements came into force in April this year. Business is punch-drunk with regulation. Any extension would be distinctly premature,” he said.