Part-time Workers

HC Deb 17 January 1996 vol 269 c634W

Mr. Ian McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what initiatives have been taken, and at what cost, to publicise the changes in qualifying periods for employment rights for part-time workers to(a) employees and (b) employers. [9600]

Mr. John M. Taylor

My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Employment announced in response to a written parliamentary question on 20 December 1994,Official Report, columns 1100–01 that regulations removing qualifying hours of work thresholds for employment rights would shortly be introduced. On the same day, the former Employment Department issued a detailed press notice about these changes which were widely reported in the press and professional journals. The changes were also covered in the February 1995 issue of the "Employment Gazette". The costs of these publicity items cannot be isolated from normal Departmental running costs.