§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will amend the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 to abolish the necessity to have a qualifying period of two years' continuous employment to claim unfair dismissal, where an employee alleges that the reason for the dismissal was an attempt to enforce a statutory right.
§ Mr. McLoughlinMy right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints were made to industrial tribunals in each of the last five years for which 927W records are available for unfair dismissal because of pregnancy; how many and what percentage were settled before hearing; how many and what percentage reached a hearing; and how many and what percentage were successful.
Year All cases Settled before hearing Reached full hearing Successful at full hearing Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 1990–91 47 36 (76.6) 11 (23.4) 4 (8.5) 1989–90 44 34 (77.3) 10 (22.7) 5 (11.4) 1988–89 92 60 (65.2) 28 (30.4) 12 (13) 1987–88 115 85 (73.9) 28 (24.4) 12 (10.4) 1986–87 169 126 (74.6) 43 (25.4) 25 (14.8)