HC Deb 14 April 1978 vol 947 cc546-7W
Mr. Woodall

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) on how many occasions trade unions complained to the central arbitration committee under Section 19 of the Employment Protection Act following the refusal of a firm to comply with a request for information under Section 17 of the Employment Protection Act;

(2) how many awards of imposed terms and conditions have been made by the central arbitration committee under Section 21(3) of the Employment Protection Act following a firm's refusal to disclose information;

(3) how many claims were presented by trade unions to the central arbitration committee under Section 21(1) of the Employment Protection Act;

(4) on how many occasions trade unions have complained under Section 20 of the Employment Protection Act to the central arbitration committee following the refusal of an employer to disclose information specified in a central arbitration committee declaration; and how many of these cases resulted in a central arbitration committee declaration that the complaint was wholly or partly well founded;

(5) on how many occasions the central arbitration committee has issued a declaration setting out information to be disclosed by a firm under Section 19(6) of the Employment Protection Act.

Mr. Harold Walker

I understand from the central arbitration committee—CAC—that there have been 27 complaints to it by trade unions under Section 19(1) of the Employment Protection Act 1975 but that no declarations have yet been made under Section 19(6). There have been no complaints under Section 20 and no claims under Section 21(1) or awards under Section 21(3).

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what allowances are made under the Employment Protection Act in connection with the period employees may be away from work due to illness when long waiting periods for hospital treatment may jeopardise their claim for 26 weeks' sick leave.

Mr. Harold Walker

Under Section 29 of the Employment Protection Act, employees suspended from their normal work under certain specified health and safety regulations are entitled to a normal week's pay for every week they are suspended, up to a maximum of 26 weeks. There is no provision under the Act for any allowances to be made in connection with the period of such suspensions.