§ Lord Kilmarnockasked Her Majesty's Government:
Following publication of their advisory leaflet AIDS and Work, what has been the response of employers and whether employers are undertaking wide distribution among their staff as was recommended; and whether the Department of Employment will encourage workplace meetings on the subject by offering to provide speakers in conjunction with the Department of Health or suitable voluntary bodies.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Employment (Viscount Ullswater)The leafletAIDS and Work was published on 25 March. The department has distributed over 100,000 copies to employers through Employment News and through the Institute of Personnel Management and it is intended that every employer who requests a copy of the department's main advisory booklet AIDS and the Workplace will also receive copies of the leaflet. It is a little early to tell whether employers are undertaking a wide distribution among staff but the initial response is encouraging.
Employment Department Group staff—the field forces of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in particular the Employment Medical Advisory Service, and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)—are available on request to advise employers and their employees on a whole range of workplace health and industrial relations issues respectively, including HIV and AIDS. It is possible for an employer to arrange for HSE and ACAS staff to attend workplace meetings, but it will be for the employer to consider whether or not also to seek advice from other sources.