§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her oral answer of 6 November, if she will negotiate the maintenance of the UK opt-out of the 48 hour limit under Article 18 of the Working Time Directive before 23 November. [137819]
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§ Ms HewittThe European Commission intends to issue an initial Communication on the Working Time opt-out, the definition of Working Time with regard to on-call time and the Working Time reference period, around the end of November. We are not expecting the Communication to contain any firm proposals. There will then follow a consultation period before the Commission produce formal proposals. The Government will fully engage in this process, and will seek to ensure that the outcome safeguards choice for individuals over the hours they work, whilst ensuring their employment rights are protected.