§ Mr. DarvillTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Social Affairs Council on 27 June. [6785]
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§ Mr. BlunkettThe UK was represented by the Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry, the Minister for Employment and Disability Rights and me.
The UK was welcomed to the Government's first Social Affairs Council by the Presidency, at the start of the meeting. I replied by setting out the Government's intention to take a positive approach to European employment and social affairs matters, including playing a full part in discussions of matters being taken forward under the Social Chapter. I also set out the Government's view that the key should be to tackle unemployment, particularly by taking action to develop people's employability and to promote labour market flexibility.
Political agreement was reached on the common position of the draft Directive on the Burden of Proof in sex discrimination cases, incorporating UK amendments bringing the Directive into line with the approach of UK Courts in this field.
The Council also reached political agreement on the proposed Directive on Chemical Agents, which will lay down minimum standards for the protection of workers from exposure to chemical agents.
There was discussion of the Commission's follow-up to its 1995 Communication on social protection. The UK highlighted the need for innovative approaches to moving people out of dependency and into work.
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Reserve for LEAs £ million At 1 April 1990 At 1 April 1991 At 1 April 1992 At 1 April 1993 At 1 April 1994 At 1 April 1995 At 1 April 1996 City of London 201.8 171.6 173.0 195.7 232.8 221.1 221.9 Camden 17.3 -1.0 -7.3 0.7 7.0 18.7 36.5 Greenwich 24.6 17.8 17.9 11.8 35.5 39.7 45.1 Hackney -0.5 1.2 0.6 4.3 7.4 8.1 8.3 Hammersmith and Fulham 34.4 35.5 30.4 17.9 22.6 17.1 16.5 Islington 9.9 -2.5 6.9 0.3 -0.6 2.6 8.1 Kensington and Chelsea 10.1 8.5 4.4 20.5 43.4 62.8 66.4 Lambeth -4.7 -16.3 -14.8 -7.5 3.1 -17.0 -19.7 Lewisham 8.9 -2.1 -3.7 3.0 6.2 7.6 21.2 Southwark 12.6 10.2 6.0 7.8 30.9 47.5 51.9 Tower Hamlets 26.4 20.7 21.7 18.9 23.1 27.6 19.0 Wandsworth 53.1 50.9 46.4 32.1 57.4 23.9 43.6 Westminster 15.7 15.9 24.5 27.9 32.4 44.6 40.1 Barking and Dagenham 47.0 44.8 34.7 40.7 45.4 49.0 50.6 Barnet 16.0 6.9 9.9 13.8 32.3 44.5 45.3 Bexley 14.6 0.0 3.7 7.8 13.4 15.0 14.1 Brent 9.1 8.1 7.1 5.6 5.6 9.4 6.4 Bromley 36.8 39.4 38.2 58.4 77.2 78.0 74.5 Croydon 55.1 39.7 44.5 30.2 49.8 58.5 52.2 Ealing 0.0 -8.2 3.8 23.4 43.5 46.1 33.6 Enfield 0.0 9.1 7.3 19.6 41.7 48.3 50.2 Haringey -0.5 -6.9 -6.7 4.0 16 7 17.4 27.4 Harrow 11.9 7.4 12.9 21.2 27.5 29.9 26.7 Havering 20.5 20.0 15.0 14.8 24.8 26.2 28.1 Hillingdon 31.1 11.0 1.1 5.5 12.3 14.4 11.6 Hounslow 39.9 29.7 18.5 12.1 13.1 14.1 10.8 Kingston upon Thames 9.1 5.6 3.6 4.1 8.0 10.9 10.1 Merton 36.6 18.1 13.2 11.1 19.1 12.9 6.3 Newham 3.4 2.9 6.4 13.5 40.5 45.3 59.0 Redbridge 5.4 0.6 3.4 11.4 20.3 18.7 19.8 Richmond upon Thames -14.0 4.9 3.0 7.3 16.6 20.0 15.8 Sutton 9.0 9.2 6.5 8.3 15.8 14.4 15.0 Waltham Forest 2.1 2.1 2.4 10.4 17.6 16.8 13.2 Bolton 8.8 3.2 11.2 10.3 16.9 19.5 20.6 Bury 10.9 9.0 5.0 5.8 13.5 14.1 10.9 The Council also discussed the report of the Davignon Group on employee involvement in the European Company Statute and agreed Council Conclusions which note the contribution of the Report. They also agree that detailed discussion of the Statute should continue.
The Council noted the Presidency report on action in the context of the French memorandum submitted to the Turin European Council in 1996. The Commission gave information on the social partners' discussions of information and consultation in the context of industrial restructuring and on progress in the area of the social dialogue. Presentations were also given on the European Social Fund and on the Commission's report on access to continuing training.