Business leaders have reacted with dismay after Patricia Hewitt, the trade and industry secretary, hinted that new fathers may soon be entitled to six months paternity leave.

Speaking in an interview with the Times, Hewitt said that government must support fathers who want to spend more time with their children and said that she may change current leave entitlement.

As reported by Startups.co.uk, the government extended maternity and paternity rights as recently as April.

Mothers are now entitled to six months paid and six months unpaid leave, while fathers can claim two weeks paid paternity leave – the first time men have gained the statutory right to take time off work to see their new-born children.

But business groups warned that many firms have not come to terms with the existing laws and that giving extra time off to new parents could prove disastrous to over-stretched small companies.

Hewitt told the Times the government will look at whether fathers should be allowed to take an extra six months unpaid leave if their wives or partners wanted to return to work.

“At the time we looked at extending maternity leave, there were many people arguing that the extra six months we have now added on to maternity leave should be made available to the father.

“We decided at that time not to offer it to fathers. But I am in favour of fathers being able to play a very active role in their children’s lives, and having leave specific to fathers can definitely help.

“I want to look at how to take this whole package forward, and six months off for fathers is one way of doing it, although there may be other ways,” she said.

Business leaders criticised the proposals, claiming that small firms with few staff would be badly affected if an employee decided to take six months off work.

John Cridland, of the Confederation of British Industry, pointed out that maternity and paternity legislation has only just come into force.

“Business is punch-drunk with regulation. Any extension would be distinctly premature,” he said.

The Federation of Small Businesses told the Times: “For small employers – and 97 per cent of all businesses in the UK employ fewer than 20 people – it will be particularly difficult because every member of staff is a key member of staff.”