European Community (Labour and Social Affairs Council) (Hansard, 17 June 1980)

§ Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 11 June 1980, c. 133] : My right hon. Friend represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Council of Ministers (Labour and Social Affairs) in Luxembourg on 9 June together with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security.

The Council agreed a resolution on guidelines for a Community labour market policy which took note of the Commission's communication on this

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The following table shows the number of applications received from executive officer grades and above in my Department for permission to hold office in a political party at a local level for each of the last five years, how many were refused in each year and for what reasons.

Reason for Refusal The applications were refused because the applicants were members of the politically restricted group and the activities for which permission was sought lay in the national political field, as defined above, from which the officers were barred.

subject. The resolution recognises that efficient operation of the labour market has an important, if supporting, role in efforts to increase employment by ensuring the effective matching of jobs and people to fill them. The resolution sets out some broad objectives and suggested actions in the areas of labour market information and manpower services. It recognises that special attention needs to be given to the difficulties experienced by certain categories of worker, to the needs of disadvantaged regions and to the problems of particular sectors of industry such as those undergoing restructuring, and that better use should be made of the Community's financial instruments. The resolution also states that it is essential that managements and unions should participate in the implementation of these policies, and ends by asking the Commission, within the limits of available resources, to develop Community action in this area, and to promote co-operation between member States.

My right hon. Friend considers that the resolution is compatible with present policies in this country. The text will be made available to the House shortly.

The Council also reached agreement on a directive to protect workers from harmful exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work.

The Council received a progress report on the proposal for a directive on illegal migration and illegal employment. The Commission reported that there had been little progress in settling the difficulties this proposal caused for this and some other member States. Commissioner Vredeling proposed that the subject should next be discussed in the Community's Technical Committee on Free 447W Movement of Workers with a view to finding a generally acceptable solution. The need to combat illegal immigration and illegal employment was also noted in the resolution on labour market policy.

There was no specific discussion of equal rights at this meeting of the Council.

The Council did, however, deal with some other matters. In discussion of the proposal from the Commission to extend the social security regulations to self-employed and insured non-employed nationals of member States my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security emphasised the importance the Government attach to reaching agreement by November 1980 on the measure. The Council confirmed its agreement with the main aspects of the text and expressed a firm determination to settle the outstanding difficulties at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers (Labour and Social Affairs). In particular, attempts are to be made to find a pragmatic solution to the problem of covering the non-employed.

A decision on a Commission proposal to extend the anti-poverty programme for two years from November 1980 was deferred. The Government indicated that they were not opposed to this proposal in principle. The Commission undertook to provide an interim report on the present programme in time for the next meeting of the Council of Ministers (Labour and Social Affairs).

The Council also agreed a revised procedure for improving the working methods for tripartite conferences, agreed conclusions on the Community's action programme for the vocational rehabilitation of the handicapped and briefly discussed the relationship between health and safety at the workplace and directives under the Commission's programme for removing barriers to trade in industrial products. The subject is to be further studied by officials.