§ Mr. CallaghanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he intends to take to provide employment protection for part-time workers employed by their existing employer for less then five years.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythMany important rights are enjoyed by all employees, irrespective of hours of work or length of service. The Government are studying carefully the recent House of Lords judgment on the hours thresholds which employees have hitherto had to meet to qualify for the full range of rights. The eight and 16-hour thresholds were put in place by a Labour Administration in 1975 and have not been changed since.