MILLIONS of parents are to be given the right to demand flexible working hours from their employers under proposals expected to be unveiled by the Prime Minister this week.
Gordon Brown is set to announce an extension in the right to part-time working for parents when he sets out his plans for the next parliamentary term and attempts to relaunch his leadership in the wake of Labour's disastrous local election showing.
At present, six million people have the right to request flexible working, including 3.6 million whose children are aged under six or have disabilities. But the Government will say that the age limit is to be doubled to 12 so that 2.6 million more parents will gain the statutory right.
Ministers will announce the change as they analyse the findings of a review by Imelda Walsh, human resources director at supermarket group Sainsbury's, into flexible working. The report's recommendations will be subject to a three-month consultation period.
One source said that ministers were expected to respond "warmly" to its conclusions, paving the way for the extended rights from April of next year.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "This is still at the stage of being discussed. No decision has yet been taken. We are still at the stage where we are about to launch a consultation."
The move would save Brown from being outflanked by Tory leader David Cameron, who is already committed to extending flexible working rights. However, it risks provoking a fresh row with business leaders following the bruising confrontations over capital gains tax reform and the taxation of wealthy, "non-domiciled" foreigners living in the UK.
The publication of the review comes as Brown is expected to announce his draft legislative programme for the next parliamentary session, foreshadowing the Queen's Speech in the autumn.
Ministers are also this week expected to give their approval for two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, ending months of delay on the issue. The MoD will commit to the £4bn carrier, with a formal announcement to be made next month.
Following a drubbing in the local elections, in which Labour finished third behind the Liberal Democrats, Brown now faces the possibility of a humiliating defeat in the forthcoming by-election in Crewe and Nantwich, triggered by the death of 77-year-old Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody last month.
Cameron has made the deeply unpopular scrapping of the 10p tax rate the centrepiece of his campaign there, and has urged voters to back the Tories in a bid to send a protest message to Brown. Tory insiders say they are going to "throw everything we've got" at overturning Labour's 7,078 majority in the seat.
In a bid to see off growing unrest, the Government has promised to outline a compensation package for pensioners aged 60 to 64 and low earners before this autumn's pre-Budget report.
The full article contains 491 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
