§ Mr. Raisonasked the Secretary of State for Employment when he proposes to 492W reduce the qualifying period for making complaints of unfair dismissal; and what steps he proposes to take to implement Section 113 of the Industrial Relations Act to give industrial tribunals jurisdiction in claims concerning breach of contract of employment.
§ Mr. Maurice MacmillanI propose to make an order under Section 29 of the Act to reduce the qualifying period to 52 weeks as soon as possible. I am inviting the views of the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and other interested bodies on the proposal. I shall also be consulting them about the partial implementation of Section 113 to enable industrial tribunals to consider claims concerned with breach of contract of employment in cases where they are already adjudicating on claims against employers under the Industrial Relations, Redundancy Payments or Contracts of Employment Acts.