HC Deb 24 July 1991 vol 195 cc619-20W
Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the cost of the implementation of European Community draft directive document No. 4466/91 on European works council to(a) the Exchequer (i) directly and (ii) channelled via the European institutions, and (b) industry.

Mr. Forth

It is not possible to make precise estimates, but responses to the Department's consultation document confirm the Government's view that the costs could be considerable and that the European Commission's calculations of the likely costs to industry under-estimate those costs because they do not take account of all the necessary factors.

Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the cost of the implementation of European Community draft directive document Nos. 8073/90, 8792/90, 4112/91 and 8075/90 on community social charter measures to(a) the Exchequer (i) directly and (ii) channelled via the European institutions, (b) industry and (c) the British consumer.

Mr. Forth

It is estimated that the cost to employers, in the private and public sectors, of general application of directive 8073 control of working time would be at least £2.5 billion per annum. It is estimated that the cost to employers of implementing the health and safety, maternity pay and right to return provisions of directives 8792/90 and 4112/91—protection of pregnant women at work—would in total be £500 to £650 million initially. Detailed estimates for directive 8075/90—health and safety on construction sites—are being prepared.

Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the cost of the implementation of European Community draft directive document No. 9908/90 on equal opportunities for men and women to(a) the Exchequer (i) directly and (ii) channelled via the European institutions, (b) industry and (c) the British consumer.

Mr. Forth

European Document No. 9908/90 is not a draft directive but sets out the European Commission's third medium-term action programme on equal opportunities for women and men, which runs from 1991–1995. The programme was endorsed by a resolution of the Council of Ministers on 22 May.

The extent to which employers will be faced with extra costs will depend on the precise nature and timing of measures to be brought forward under the programme.

It is not possible at this stage to make an overall estimate of direct potential costs to the Exchequer. In practice, the actual United Kingdom contribution to the EC budget for individual programmes will depend not only on the level of expenditure, but also on the level and timing of payments, and the relative national shares of the programmes.