§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate he has made of the impact of allowing a maximum four week quarantine period for(a) temp to temp fees and (b) temp to third party fees for specialist IT employment businesses; and if he will include that estimate in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; [159485]
(2) for what reasons an assessment of the impact of a four week quarantine period for (a) temp to temp fees and (b) temp to third party fees was not included in the draft regulatory impact assessment for the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [159486]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonIt was not possible to identify quantifiable costs for most of the measures in the Regulations, since they are likely to lead to changes in the behaviour of the organisations and workers in the private recruitment industry. Moreover, statistical information on the industry is limited. The draft regulatory impact assessment presents the available information.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of the temporary workforce that specialised in IT in(a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000; and if he will include that estimate in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; [159482]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of IT workers in the UK that worked on temporary contracts rather than permanent employment in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c), 1999 and (d) 2000; and if he will include that estimate in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; [159481]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the total number of IT workers who sought work through employment businesses in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000; and if he will include that estimate in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; [159480]>
(4) what assessment his Department has made of the importance to the UK economy of IT workers seeking work through employment businesses; and if he will make a statement. [159483]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonDetailed information on specific occupational groups of agency workers is not available.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the ability of employment businesses to continue to offer internet services to work-seekers in the light of Clauses 2 and 14 of the proposed Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [159487]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThe Regulations have been designed to cover internet-based services, and will allow most dealings between employment businesses and418W work-seekers to be conducted electronically. The Regulations should therefore improve the ability of employment businesses to offer services to work-seekers via the internet.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the average cost of a specialist IT employment business placing a specialist IT worker in a six month temporary contract; what proportion of these costs relate to(a) placement fees and (b) payroll costs; and if he will make a statement. [159484]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonI have made no such estimate. Our draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2001 are designed to benefit recruitment agencies, employment businesses, their clients and those seeking employment through them. They will remove unnecessary restrictions on organisations in the recruitment industry, including the IT sector, and the services they can offer, while protecting the interests of work seekers and vulnerable groups. I recognise that the IT sector plays an increasingly important role in the recruitment industry.