§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the present employment status of homeworkers; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerEmployment status is one of the areas under scrutiny in the current programme of research into homeworking. Consideration of this matter cannot usefully take place before we have the further information which the research is expected to yield.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects his research into homeworking to be completed; and whether such research will be made publicly available.
§ Mr. GummerI expect this Department's research studies into homeworking to be completed this year. A number of reports and articles have already been published and the results of the main study are being published as they become available.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with existing health and safety legislation covering homeworkers; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe Health and Safety Commission has been actively concerned with homeworking for a number of years and has been seeking to take action to ensure that homeworkers receive the protection afforded to them by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In the light of two consultative exercises on this subject, the Commission is considering what action would be most appropriate to take.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are his reasons for not reconvening the homeworkers advisory committee.
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§ Mr. GummerI do not think it would serve any useful purpose to reconvene the committee before the outcome of our research programme on homeworking is known. We shall then be in a better position to assess the needs of homeworkers, and whether there is a role for the committee.