§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the consequences for(a) job creation and (b) re-skilling of measures to reduce working hours. [6936]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyMeasures to implement the Working Time Directive will be introduced in a sensible and flexible way. We are committed to establishing fair and decent minimum standards at work within a flexible labour market. To create secure jobs and upgrade our skills base, we should compete on quality not by forcing people to work excessively long hours or without holiday entitlement.