Ministers are set to offer £2million more in childcare grants to make Britain the female employment capital of Europe. Almost half a million women are expected to enter the labour market by the start of 2016 – largely thanks to government tax breaks. This would see the UK leapfrog Germany as the major economy with the highest female employment rate on the Continent. Chancellor George Osborne, on a two-day tour meeting 'women working in the UK economy', is helped to choose a Christmas tree for Number 11 Downing Street by Sadie Lynes owner of Marldon Christmas Tree Farm Mr Osborne wants Britain to have the highest proportion of women in work in Europe
@highlight
UK could overtake Germany to take highest female employment rate
@highlight
Since 2010 the number of women in work has increased by over 771,000
@highlight
But some believe measures denigrate stay-at-home mothers
At present, 67 per cent of working-age women in @placeholder are in work – a record high of 14.4million; behind Germany on 69.2 per cent.