HC Deb 07 May 1991 vol 190 cc611-3
7. Mr. Cran

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women in the labour force are aged 55 years and over.

Mr. Jackson

It is estimated from the preliminary results of the 1990 labour force survey that, in the spring of that year, there were 2,168,000 men and 1,289,000 women in the labour force aged 55 and over.

Mr. Cran

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is disgraceful that a considerable number of companies still practise age discrimination and consequently turn their backs on a not inconsiderable pool of talented labour who happen to be over 55 years of age? Does he also agree that employment should principally be on the basis of merit and nothing else? If so, what is he doing to encourage companies to change their minds and to clean up their employment practices?

Mr. Jackson

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Companies should eschew such unnecessary discrimination. The Government seize every opportunity to argue that, and I have made several speeches on the issue. My hon. Friend might have been thinking about a Bill that has been drafted which suggests that there should be legislation on the issue, but we do not believe that legislation would help, for the practical reason that there are circumstances—a limited number, admittedly—in which the age of a person may be relevant to the job. It would be impossible to write all those exceptions into a statute, which is why we do not believe that legislation would be the right approach. Persuasion, not compulsion, is the right approach and we shall continue to do all that we can to persuade.

Mr. Bermingham

But does the Minister agree that the period from 1980–91 has shown that, for people of 50 years of age and over who have been made redundant or otherwise put out of work, it is increasingly difficult to find re-employment? Does he also agree that that is a disgraceful waste of talent, experience and other knowledge? Will he take positive steps for once to stop the bleeding of and drain on our national resources caused by the under-employment of the over 50s?

Mr. Jackson

I said that we agreed that there is a drain. The hon. Gentleman has to set the circumstances against the background: about 3 million more people are employed in Britain now than was the case a decade ago, but it is true that there has been a slight decline in the proportion of the labour force aged over 55. Whether the cause is as the hon. Gentleman said or whether it is because of the increased personal income and wealth which enables more people to retire earlier is a question to which we do not have the answer. The hon. Gentleman is right that we should be concerned, but we can agree that there would be practical difficulties in the way of legislation.

Mr. Rowe

Let me assure my hon. Friend that a substantial number of people aged 55 and over are finding it unreasonably difficult even to get an interview for a job. Given the manifest fact that many people in that age group have experience, loyalty and skills which are superior to those of much younger people, will he do his level best to ensure that he keeps those of his colleagues who are also in that age group in their jobs by making it clear to employers that they should take a favourable view of people of that age?

Mr. Jackson

The Government employ many such people in the civil service, but we do not employ such practices. The issue must be dealt with in the relationship between the employer and the employee. The Government can urge, explain and argue, and can draw the attention of employers to the facts to which my hon. Friend refers, but it must be a matter between the employer and the employee. We do not believe that legislation would help.

Mr. McLeish

Is the Minister aware that a large proportion of men and women over 50 in the labour force are unemployed? Why then, last year, did about 500,000 people join the dole queue? Why has his Department administered the most savage cuts in training since the war? Why is he not now going to the Treasury to demand more money for the unemployed? Is it because the Government do not care about unemployment?

Mr. Jackson

The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that the level of unemployment is essentially decided as a consequence of the wage settlements reached in negotiations between employers and employees. The Government have repeatedly pointed out that the trend of wage settlements has been too high overall to be afforded in the light of the increase in productivity. It would be useful if the hon. Gentleman were to join us in arguing that case rather than attempting to pin the blame where it cannot be pinned.