Philip Hammond should spend £2.1bn in the autumn statement on extending maternity leave to encourage more women to return to work, the CBI has said. The business lobby group urged the chancellor to adopt an £11.5bn shopping list of measures, including lengthening maternity leave from nine months to a year to bridge the gap with the earliest date from which parents can claim childcare support. An increase in maternity leave from 39 weeks would extend support for working families until the government’s childcare voucher scheme, which subsidises a nursery place or childminder, takes effect at 52 weeks. Under current rules, spending on solar panels and machinery can be counted as improvements to business premises, triggering extra business rates. “We would like to see £6bn more spent each year on public investment: improving our transport and digital network, building more homes and extending regional funding.”

Source: The Guardian October 26, 2016 23:01 UTC