This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

The government yesterday expressed concern over plans within the EU to extend maternity leave that could force the Treasury to find an extra £2bn if they become law.

Fears of additional costs followed a vote in the European Parliament's women's rights committee to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks, with six weeks on full pay. That compares with UK rules which give pregnant women a year off, of which six weeks are paid at 90% of the mother's average pay, followed by 33 weeks on statutory maternity pay of £123 a week. The rest is unpaid.

The government warned that a big rise in paid maternity leave entitlement in Britain could upset the "delicate balance" struck by the current national system.

Lord Young, the employment relations minister, said: "The commission's proposals are only at an early stage, but we do have concerns and are lobbying hard to get the right deal for the UK. We already have a generous system … balancing the needs of business and workers."

The British Chambers of Commerce said the proposed changes would be costly during an economic downturn.