"We warmly welcome the Government's decision to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children up to 16 years old. The absence of flexible work shuts women out of the boardroom and forces them into lower paid, lower status jobs when they have children.

"But today's announcements are not the wholesale reform women urgently need. The continued restriction of flexible working rights to a particular group means it remains the "mummy track", with those that take it up stigmatised as "less committed" to their job. This is despite research demonstrating that increased flexible working goes hand in hand with increased productivity. When the right to request flexible working is extended to all UK employees, the economy, businesses and individual women and men will all reap the benefits.

"While we welcome the plans announced today to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children, these measures must be combined with effective legislative tools to tackle discrimination against women."

The Walsh Review was an independent review of flexible working rights carried out by Imelda Walsh, HR director of Sainsbury's. The recommendations have been accepted by Business Secretary John Hutton.

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