§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate the Government has made of the number of jobs that would be affected if the Atypical Workers Directive were implemented; [115237]
(2) what estimate the Government has made of the costs of implementing the Atypical Workers Directive; [115239]
(3) if she will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the Atypical Workers Directive; [115236]
(4) what study of the comparative effects across the EU of the Atypical Workers Directive the Government has made; and if she will make a statement. [115238]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Government are not opposed in principle to the proposed directive on agency work but are keenly aware of the potential impact on UK agencies and agency workers of a directive that takes no account of conditions in the UK labour market. The Government are pressing very hard for the UK's legitimate concerns to be recognised.
The Department of Trade and Industry has not produced a study of the potential impact on other countries in the European Union. The European Commission's impact assessment (Commission Paper 2002 149) was published in March 2002 with their proposal for a directive. This document is in the Libraries of the House.
An explanatory memorandum setting out the Government's policy on the proposed directive and a regulatory impact assessment of the potential costs and benefits for the UK including a discussion of possible employment effects have been published and are in the Libraries.