§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to lay a duty on employers to notify the Government of their intention to close particular factories or declare redundancies.
§ Mr. BryanI doubt the need for such legislation. Employers generally give my Department advance warning of substantial redundancies or closures before they put them into effect. The desirability of such action is emphasised both in the Department's booklet "Dealing with Redundancies" and in the draft Code of Industrial Relations Practice. Moreover employers who intend to claim rebate from the Redundancy Fund in respect of redundancy payments to dismissed employees are already required to give advance notice to an employment exchange.