§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what her Department's policy towards banning an upper age limit in employment advertisements. [9724]
§ Mrs. GillanThe Department remains committed to the elimination of upper age limits in job advertisements. Age discrimination makes no business sense and that is why the Government's campaign for older workers continues to emphasise this to employers. Increasing numbers of employers are responding to the message and are recruiting people on the basis of ability and skill and 519W not age. The Department has produced a series of publications aimed at employers and older workers as part of a co-ordinated campaign.
The campaign's latest publication, "Age Works", encourages recruitment agencies and employment businesses to oppose age discrimination in the selection and recruitment of older workers in their job vacancies. Another publication to be published later this year targets the recruitment advertising industry.