§ Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the implications of her competitiveness and deregulation policy for job prospects in the United Kingdom in relation to those in other EU countries. [27678]
§ Mr. ForthInternational evidence shows that keeping regulation to a necessary minimum allows employers to create a diverse pattern of jobs, giving workers greater choice in when and how to work. This leads to more people in employment. The latest available figures indicate that, in 1994, the UK had a higher proportion of its population of working age in employment than any other major EU member state.