The Government is expected to announce more rights to take time off work for the parents of disabled children.

A report in The Independent says that Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Stephen Byers is set to announce new rights to allow parents time off work if a child has a routine hospital appointment.

The measures, designed to strengthen the family unit, will be published in the Government's Green Paper on parental leave today, it says.

Current laws allow such parents to take a total of 13 weeks' unpaid leave before their children reach 18, with a maximum of one month a year.

But ministers plan to suggest extending this. They believe the 13 weeks may be inadequate for parents who combine caring for a disabled child with a job, says the paper.