§ 28. Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy on encouraging the movement of employees in(a) the public sector and (b) the private sector from full-time to part-time working; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeWe are in favour of encouraging flexibility in the labour market such as that provided by working part-time. In general, employers and employees should be free to work out the arrangements which best suit their individual circumstances. My Department's jobshare scheme aims to help employers in the public and private sector to adopt more flexible working patterns and open up job opportunities directly or indirectly for the unemployed.