Fathers of children under five spend an average of two hours a day on child-related activities

Fathers of children under five in Britain spent an average of two hours a day on child-related activities in the late 1990s, compared with less than 15 minutes a day in the mid-1970s, according to a report last week from the Equal Opportunities Commission. But it found that the long-hours work culture has prevented a more equal division of caring, with two-fifths of fathers working for more than 48 hours a week. The report said that fathers were less likely than mothers to take advantage of family-friendly policies. Working Fathers: Earning and Caring, is on the website www.eoc.org.uk.