§ Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what further proposals he has to ease burdens on business referring to his departmental responsibilities.
§ Mr. NichollsAs soon as parliamentary time permits, we intend to implement the proposal put forward for public consultation earlier this year. This would give chairmen of industrial tribunals the power, either on their own initiative or at the request of one of the parties, to make an order for a deposit of up to £150 as a condition of proceeding to a full hearing before the tribunal where the case appears to have no reasonable prospect of success, or where it seems to be frivolous, vexatious or otherwise unreasonable. We also intend to take steps to enable tribunal awards of compensation to carry interest.
In addition, we intend to implement proposals to extend from six months to two years the qualifying period of employment after which employees become entitled to a written statement of the reasons for their dismissal; to exempt firms with fewer than 20 employees from the requirement to provide an additional note on disciplinary 516W and grievance procedures with the written statement of the main terms and conditions of employment; and to limit the range of industrial relations duties for which trade union officials have a statutory entitlement to paid time off to the scope of union recognition by the employer.