In April this year, workers in businesses with more than 250 employees were given a legal right to request time off for training.

However, the new government is already looking into the practice through a swift consultation, which could see the scheme dropped altogether before April 2011, when smaller companies are due to be included in the scheme.

The consultation is shorter than the usual 12 weeks in order for responses to be collated before the next Reducing Regulation meeting and will close on 15 September.

According to skills minister John Hayes, all regulations will be reviewed in order to reduce burdens on business.

Hayes said: "Before we make any decisions about the future of the right to request Time to Train, it is important that we gauge views of the regulation and whether it is improving training opportunities for employees. 

"We believe it is important that all regulations are properly scrutinised and we are therefore interested in hearing views on the future of this right and its role in promoting training in the workplace, which I see as vital to our economic success."

When the legal right was initially announced, many companies complained that complying would time-consuming and costly.