A report recommending changing parental leave rights for councillors will be rewritten to have more inclusive language.

The report presented to Swindon Borough Council's cabinet by the independent remuneration committee recommends paying the full basic allowance for members on maternity leave for up to a year and for those on paternity leave for two weeks.

But two members were concerned by the language, if not the substance of the report. Coun Cathy Martyn asked for a diversity impact assessment to be added: and said: "I don't see enough acknowledgement of people who don't fit the stereotypical heterosexual model family. There's no mention of gender-fluid people or of men who give birth. If we want to attract people of all genders to stand as members we need to improve this."

Coun Marty Martin expressed surprise that maternity and paternity leave were specified rather than parental leave which could be applied to members regardless of gender.

The council's chief executive officer Susie Kemp asked the report not be approved and sent on to council yet to allow more inclusive language to be used while keeping the sentiment of the report.