§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the proportion of full-time workers qualifying for statutory employment rights in(a) 1978, (b) 1988, (c) 1992, (d) 1993 and (e) 1994 in the United Kingdom and in each standard region and nation. [30405]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe requested estimates cannot be provided, for a number of reasons. These include the fact that not all employment rights have the same qualifying conditions, and that the rights themselves have been amended over the years so that no direct comparisons can be made. Employees now qualify for a number of important rights regardless of their hours of work or length of service.