§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the definition in terms of hours of a full-time job in 1979 and what is it now; and if he will list the changes in definition with their dates and the reasons for them.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI have been asked to reply.
For the purposes of collecting and producing statistical information, a full-time worker is defined, in terms of hours worked, as an employee who works more than 30 hours per week, excluding overtime. For teachers and academics this is modified to 25 hours or more per week.
This definition has been used consistently since before 1979.