Michael Howard has detailed his party's plans to help around 250,000 families with the cost of childcare.

Proposals unveiled on Monday offer up to £50 a week extra per child on top of existing tax credits.

In a move set to differentiate the Tories from Labour, and boost the parties pro-family credentials, the cash will also be available for informal childcare arrangements, including help from grandparents, friends and neighbours.

The scheme is set to cost £460m a year and would be introduced in 2008.

The Conservatives are also pledging to increase the flexibility of maternity pay and lift it by £1,400.

Under a Tory government working mothers would receive 90 per cent of average earnings for the first six weeks.

They would be offered the choice of receiving the cash as £102.80 per week over 33 weeks or £169.62 over 20 weeks.

"All families are different, there is no one-size fits all solution," said Howard.

"Ours is a way of introducing flexibility into the childcare system and freeing up some of the rigidities of the present government's approach," he told the Sunday Telegraph.

"I think it will be a real value to 250,000 parents."