Clegg urges more parental leave

Nick Clegg is the father of two sons and his wife is expecting a third child

Anti-social behaviour among Britain's youth could be tackled by introducing more generous family policies, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said.

He told the BBC that the current two-week paternity break deprived children of essential male role models.

His comments came as the party outlined proposals to offer new mothers and fathers up to 19 months of shared leave and free childcare.

The measures would bring the UK more in line with the Nordic countries.

He told the BBC's Politics Show: "We have more... young boys going off the rails when they hit their teenage years in this country than almost anywhere else in Europe" .

"All the evidence now shows that one of the big reasons that this happens is because we have too many young boys who do not have positive male role models in their life from an early stage."

'Urgent measures'

Under the party's new childcare proposals, new parents would be able to take 19 months of leave, shared between the mother and father, as long as neither takes more than a year.

This would be paid at the same rate as the current Statutory Maternity Pay.

In addition, 20 hours of free childcare would be available to all parents once their child reaches 18 months.

Rejecting claims that the measures should be postponed during the recession, he said: "With family budgets getting tighter, more parents are looking at going back to work or training to bring in some extra money.

"The need for flexible and affordable childcare has therefore never been more urgent."

Under current laws, women can take statutory maternity leave for up to 52 weeks, with statutory maternity pay for up to 39 weeks.

If entitled to it, a woman can receive 90% of her average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, then up to £117.18 for the remaining 33 weeks.

The last 13 weeks, if taken, are unpaid.

Conditions must be met, such as the woman having had 26 weeks of continuous employment with the same company before going on leave.

Fathers can take either one or two weeks' paternity leave, receiving either £117.18 or 90% of their average weekly earnings if this is lower.