§ Mr. Simon CoombsTo ask the Lord President of the Council what guidance is given to right hon. and hon. Members as to their statutory responsibility in respect of staff employed by them.
§ Mr. WakehamThe Fees Office has responsibilities for guidance to Members in respect of statutory obligations to their staff. Guidance is given by means of personal advice, circulars on relevant topics and, recently, by the provision of a draft statement of the main terms and conditions of employment together with a completed set of guidance notes. These notes include details of employees' statutory rights and entitlements.
Members have also been issued with a copy of the Fees Office handbook "Parliamentary Salaries, Allowances and Pensions", which includes advice on their statutory obligations to their staff in relation to income tax and national insurance.
An advisory service on questions of employment legislation is maintained with the close support of ACAS. In addition ACAS offers assistance on a wide range of employment issues, and various publications are available in the Fees Office on request.