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| Call to increase paternity leave | Call to increase paternity leave |
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| Statutory maternity leave should be cut from nine months to six to give fathers more paid time off to spend with their children, a watchdog has said. | Statutory maternity leave should be cut from nine months to six to give fathers more paid time off to spend with their children, a watchdog has said. |
| The Equality and Human Rights Commission said it wanted to see more sharing of paid leave between parents. | The Equality and Human Rights Commission said it wanted to see more sharing of paid leave between parents. |
| Mothers get nine months' paid leave while fathers get two weeks, making arrangements in the UK the most unequal in Europe, the commission suggests. | |
| The government said the UK already had generous measures to support parents. | |
| New mothers currently get nine months paid leave, six weeks at 90% of their salary and the rest at the statutory rate of £117.18 a week. Fathers get two weeks at the statutory rate. | |
| Gender gap | Gender gap |
| The commission's survey of 4,500 people found "a high percentage" of fathers said they wanted to spend more time with their children. | The commission's survey of 4,500 people found "a high percentage" of fathers said they wanted to spend more time with their children. |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| The commission suggested new fathers should get two weeks off at 90% pay, and another four months leave before their child was five years old. | The commission suggested new fathers should get two weeks off at 90% pay, and another four months leave before their child was five years old. |
| Mothers are entitled to 52 weeks' maternity leave, with 39 weeks on full or partial pay. | Mothers are entitled to 52 weeks' maternity leave, with 39 weeks on full or partial pay. |
| Deputy chairwoman, Baroness Margaret Prosser, said many women could not afford to take the full leave available to them because much of it was unpaid. | Deputy chairwoman, Baroness Margaret Prosser, said many women could not afford to take the full leave available to them because much of it was unpaid. |
| "We're saying let's add those weeks together, let's allow parents to choose, to share those between them," she told the BBC. | "We're saying let's add those weeks together, let's allow parents to choose, to share those between them," she told the BBC. |
| "Let's ensure that more of those weeks are paid at what we would suggest - 90% of a person's income - and then we're likely to get both parents taking that leave in a way that's more suitable to them." | "Let's ensure that more of those weeks are paid at what we would suggest - 90% of a person's income - and then we're likely to get both parents taking that leave in a way that's more suitable to them." |
| The commission published a 10-year strategy calling for higher levels of maternity and paternity pay to increase uptake, particularly among men, lone parents and lower-income groups. | The commission published a 10-year strategy calling for higher levels of maternity and paternity pay to increase uptake, particularly among men, lone parents and lower-income groups. |
| We are proposing one of the most radical changes in our approach to parental leave in a decade Nicola BrewerEquality and Human Rights Commission | We are proposing one of the most radical changes in our approach to parental leave in a decade Nicola BrewerEquality and Human Rights Commission |
| Fathers in families with an income of less than £15,000 were less likely to take paternity leave, it said. | Fathers in families with an income of less than £15,000 were less likely to take paternity leave, it said. |
| The new plan would cost around £5.3bn to introduce. | The new plan would cost around £5.3bn to introduce. |
| Nicola Brewer, the commission's chief executive, said: "When it comes to modern approaches to parental leave, we may need to try a different route. | Nicola Brewer, the commission's chief executive, said: "When it comes to modern approaches to parental leave, we may need to try a different route. |
| "We are proposing one of the most radical changes in our approach to parental leave in a decade. | "We are proposing one of the most radical changes in our approach to parental leave in a decade. |
| "Changing the way we approach parental leave could be one way of tackling the gender pay gap. | "Changing the way we approach parental leave could be one way of tackling the gender pay gap. |
| "By supporting men to be good fathers as well as good employees, it would also help children to do better at school." | "By supporting men to be good fathers as well as good employees, it would also help children to do better at school." |
| The Department for Business said it recognised the importance of ensuring mothers and fathers were both able to spend the time they needed with their families. | The Department for Business said it recognised the importance of ensuring mothers and fathers were both able to spend the time they needed with their families. |
| It added that the UK already had generous and progressive measures to support parents. | It added that the UK already had generous and progressive measures to support parents. |
| "The UK has made great progress on providing support to working parents over the last decade," a spokesman said. | "The UK has made great progress on providing support to working parents over the last decade," a spokesman said. |
| "All women are now entitled to 52 weeks' maternity leave, with 39 weeks' pay - increased from 18 weeks' pay in 1997. | "All women are now entitled to 52 weeks' maternity leave, with 39 weeks' pay - increased from 18 weeks' pay in 1997. |
| "The rate of maternity pay has more than doubled from £55.70 in 1997 to £123.06 from April this year." | "The rate of maternity pay has more than doubled from £55.70 in 1997 to £123.06 from April this year." |