HC Deb 17 July 1996 vol 281 cc572-3W
Mr. Spring

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the Green Paper "Resolving Employment Rights Disputes: Options for Reform." [38391]

Mr. Lang

The Government are today publishing, for consultation, a draft Bill on industrial tribunals and the resolution of employment rights disputes. As foreshadowed by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Competition and Consumer Affairs on 13 March, Official Report, column 671, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin), the key thrust of the draft Bill is to encourage the use of alternative ways of resolving disputes such as in-house appeals procedures, conciliation and arbitration and to streamline and improve industrial tribunals procedures enabling cases to be dealt with more speedily and efficiently.

The draft Bill contains proposals to implement those aspects of the Green Paper "Resolving Employment Rights Disputes: Options for Reform" Cm 2707, which commanded wide support and which require primary legislation. Some of the proposals have been modified to take account of views expressed in the consultation on the Green Paper. In some cases this has been to make them more even-handed and in others to make them more workable. The consultation document includes the draft Bill, explains the proposals in detail and seeks views on a number of specific questions.

The publication of legislation in draft is Government policy where time allows and will give all those with an interest in the proposals an opportunity to comment on legislation of direct interest to them. This will help to improve the quality of the legislation before it is introduced to Parliament.

The Government would welcome responses to the consultation document from all interested parties. These should be sent to:

before Friday 27 September.

Copies of the consultation document are being distributed widely and have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

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