§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the EU directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees with the protocol on the application of subsidiarity and proportionality of the treaty of Amsterdam; and if she will make a statement. [2514]
§ Alan JohnsonOur view of the Commission's original proposal was that it was too prescriptive and paid insufficient regard to subsidiarity. By contrast, the text agreed by member states at the Employment and Social Affairs Council on 11 June avoids a rigid "one size fits all approach" which would be inappropriate for the UK given our diverse practices in this area. In particular the draft provides that the practical arrangements for information and consultation shall be defined and implemented in accordance with national law and industrial relations practices in individual member states.
§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the cost to industry of implementing the EU directive establishing a framework for informing and consulting employees. [2513]
§ Alan JohnsonMy Department prepared a regulatory impact assessment on the Commission's original proposal. A copy was attached to Explanatory Memorandum 3099/98 submitted by my Department on 15 January 1999. This estimated that the recurring costs to rile economy would be between £219 million-£257 million, and the non-recurring costs (of setting up arrangements) would be between £84 million-£88 million. The directive has yet to be finally agreed as it now goes to the European Parliament for Second Reading. A revised regulatory impact assessment will be prepared when the Government consult on the implementation of the directive in the UK.