HC Deb 20 January 1972 vol 829 cc231-2W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which Sections of the Industrial Relations Act are now in operation; which Sections have still to be brought into force; and when he expects to have the Act in full operation.

Mr. Bryan

The Sections of the Act already in operation are those contained in the following three Commencement Orders, laid before Parliament on 23rd September, 25th October and 4th November, 1971, respectively:

Statutory Instrument Operative Date
The Industrial Relations Act 1971 (Commencement No. 1) Order 1971. 1971 No. 1522 (C40) 1st October, 1972
The Industrial Relations Act 1971 (Commencement No. 2) Order 1971. 1971 No. 1682 (C44) 1st November, 1971
The Industrial Relations Act 1971 (Commencement No. 3) Order 1971. 1971 No. 1761 (C48) 1st December, 1971
My right hon. Friend expects shortly to lay before Parliament a fourth Commencement Order, bringing into operation on 28th February, 1972, most of the remaining Sections of the Act. The contents of the order are set out in my right hon. Friend's reply of 16th December, 1971, to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Redmond), with the addition of Section 118 (limit on compensation awarded under section 103, section 106 or section 109) and Section 119 (contribution to compensation on complaint under section 106).

With the coming into operation of Commencement Order No. 4, the whole of the Industrial Relations Act will be in force, except the provisions relating to disclosure of information (sections 56, 57, 102(1)(b) and (2)(c), 110, 126 and 127, so far as it relates to section 126) and damages for breach of contract of employment (sections 113 and 130(1) and (2)). Implementation of the disclosure of information provisions will take place as soon as possible after I have considered the forthcoming report of the C.I.R. on this subject and consulted with interested organisations including the C.I.R., T.U.C. and C.B.I. The sections dealing with damages for breach of contract of employment will be brought into operation when the industrial tribunals have the capacity to take on this new jurisdiction.

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