The new right, due to come into force from 2011, would apply during the second half of a baby’s first year, if the mother returned to the workplace.

But the government conceded that take-up was likely to be low, with less than one in 16 fathers expected to leave work for a period of full-time parenting.

At present dads are entitled to two weeks’ paid leave and mothers to 52, 39 of them paid.

The move was hailed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in his speech to the TUC.

“No Tory government has ever given a single day of paternity leave. This Labour government gave men the right to two weeks’ paternity leave,” he told trade union de.

“Now, from April 2011,

we will give fathers the right to take up to three months’ additional paid paternity leave during the second six months of a child’s life, if the mother has returned to work, because Labour believes in giving couples more freedom, dads more rights and children more time with the two people who love them most.”

Extended paternity rights were promised in Labour’s 2005 General Election manifesto alongside a “goal” to extend paid maternity leave to a full year.

Mr Brown said Labour “retain our ambition” to that move although it was not included in yesterday’s proposals, which will now go out to consultation.

The extension of statutory maternity pay from nine months to a year is being touted as the first major victim of the spending squeeze as the government seeks to reduce expenditure.

The additional paid leave would have cost £500m and given up to £1600 to those families eligible.