§ Michael FabricantTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the Working Time Directive's opt-out clause on industrial relations in the UK. [143828]
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§ Mr. SutcliffeThe opt-out from the weekly working time limits provides workers with the choice to work longer hours if they want to and flexibility for employers. A recent study, "The Business Context to Long Hours Working" published by my department shows that employers thought the most common barrier to reducing the hours of staff was the needs of the business and workload (55 per cent. of respondents cited this), second to this was the concern that existing staff may resist the reduction in hours as it could limit their choice to work these hours and a reduction in their overtime pay (22 per cent.)