HC Deb 07 July 1993 vol 228 c196W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what data, in regard to the effects on United Kingdom employment and wages, Her Majesty's Government made a decision to exempt the United Kingdom from the social chapter.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The proposed social chapter would have given the Community greatly increased scope to legislate in the areas of employment and social policy and to introduce such legislation through qualified majority voting. It is already clear that inappropriate Community legislation of this kind can greatly increase the costs and burdens on business with an inevitable cost in lost jobs. To have accepted greater Community powers in this area would have been irreconcilable with the need to maintain the competitiveness of British business and the jobs of British employees.