HC Deb 09 June 1998 vol 313 cc508-9W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department has taken to encourage workforce flexibility to create and sustain jobs in the United Kingdom printing, packaging and graphic communications industry. [43445]

Mr. Ian McCartney

The Government recognise the benefits for competitiveness and employment of workforce flexibility, and encourage generally the spread of flexible working practices such as varying patterns of work, multi-skilling, and teleworking. Workforce flexibility will be amongst the issues to be addressed in a forthcoming joint industry/union/DTI study on the competitiveness of the industry.