§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the extent to which agency workers can claim statutory redundancy pay; and if she will make a statement. [118504]
§ Alan JohnsonIndividuals, including agency workers, dismissed by their employers for reason of redundancy, will be entitled to the statutory redundancy payment if they are employees working under contracts of employment and have worked continuously for the same employer for at least two years since the age of 18. Whether or not an individual is an employee is a mixed question of fact and law, which, in the event of a dispute, can be decided by a court on the basis of the facts of the case. We are, therefore, unable to make an exact assessment of the extent to which agency workers can claim statutory redundancy pay.