§ Mr. Silvesterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the European Community Labour and Social Affairs Council held in Brussels on 13 December.
§ Mr. Tom KingI, together with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Security, represented the United Kingdom.
The Council reached agreement on five proposals. The resolution on long-term unemployment makes sensible and realistic suggestions about action to be taken by the Community and member states, while recognising that the problem cannot be resolved without policies designed to achieve economic recovery. I welcome the emphasis on the need to increase flexibility in the labour market and on the role of employment and training measures such as the community programme.
The second EC programme to combat poverty will enable us to try out new approaches to problems which we share with other member states and will involve co-operation with the voluntary sector. The Council also 388W agreed a third programme for the exchange of young workers and a recommendation on positive action for women which is very much in accordance with Government policy and adopted a regulation for a labour force survey in 1985.
There was a short debate on the report of the ad hoc working group on the draft "Vredeling" directive. I welcome the report, which has brought to the surface many of the United Kingdom's concerns about the proposals and identifies the number of issues which require detailed discussion, in particular a new approach based on giving employee a right to be given information. I was encouraged to note that a number of other member states appear to share at least some of our concerns.
It was the general view that the Vredeling draft does not provide a suitable basis for agreement. The alternative approach to employees information and involvement was discussed and this will be further explored. While I maintained our general reserve of principle on whether the legislative rather than the voluntary approach was the way to proceed, I agreed that we would take part in further discussions.
The Council reviewed progress on the draft directive on the protection of workers against industrial noise, a matter on which I would welcome early action by the Community. There was a general wish that the Council should agree the directive during the forthcoming Italian Presidency.
The Council ended with a discussion on statistical machinery to establish priority for assistance to regions from the European social fund. I welcome Commissioner Richard's statement that if the Council is unable to reach a concensus on this issue, the Commission will introduce statistical machinery within the framework of the fund guidelines.