§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment when he proposes to implement the various parts of the Employment Protection Act.
§ Mr. BoothThe Act will be brought into force in stages. Orders will be published shortly implementing from 1st January 1976 the provisions which put the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service on to a statutory basis, together with those relating to wages councils and agricultural wages boards; those amending the Employment Agencies Act 1973, the Employment and Training Act 1973 and certain of those amending the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
They will also establish the Employment Appeal Tribunal from 1st February, when the provisions on trade union recognition and those relating to the Certification Officer and the Central Arbitration Committee will also take effect. The remaining health and safety amendments will be introduced on 1st March.
The timing of the other provisions of the Act will be affected by various economic and administrative factors, and I am not yet in a position to announce firm dates. We expect to bring them into force during the course of 1976 and 1977. The provisions on guarantee pay will not be introduced for at least 12 months; while the maternity pay provisions will be implemented in April 1977.