§ Mr. Forresterasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) if she is aware that some employers are not meeting their obligations under the Contracts of Employment Act, 1963; and if she will therefore seek powers to ensure that evasions are speedily detected and to institute legal proceedings in all such cases;
(2) what estimate she has made of the number of employers who have been proceeded against for failure to meet their obligations under the Contracts of Employment Act, 1963; whether she is satisfied that the rights of employees are adequately safeguarded by the present legislation; and whether she will take steps to increase the penalties for noncompliance with the Act.
§ Mr. HattersleyI am aware from complaints and inquiries made to my Department and from cases referred to industrial tribunals that a small minority of employers are not meeting all their obligations under the Contracts of Employment Act. Redress lies through action in the civil courts or the industrial tribunals.
380WI have no information as to the number of prosecutions under the provisions of the Act relating to written statements of terms of employment before 6th December, 1965. Since that date when jurisdiction over these provisions was transferred to industrial tribunals, 436 cases have been referred to industrial tribunals. I have no information as to the number of actions for damages under the provisions of the Act as to periods of notice.