§ Lord Wedderburn of Charltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What directions have been given under Section 193(4) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 in respect of the form of, and required particulars in, obligatory notifications by employers to the Secretary of State of proposed redundancies. [HL743]
§ The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)Form HR1, copies of which are available from my department's Redundacy Payments Service, sets out the information employers are required to give in notifications under Section 193(4) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. I have arranged for a copy of the form to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Notifications may also be submitted by any other form of written communication, provided the same information is given.
§ Lord Wedderburn of Charltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
(a) What steps they take to ensure that a copy of a notice, given to the Secretary of State by virtue of Section 193 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 by an employer 158WA concerning forthcoming redundancies, is given to representatives of the affected employees or the relevant trade union; (b) How many such notices were given in the years 1998, 1999 and 2000 and the first two months of 2001; (c) What were the sectors of industry or employment connected with those notices and the date on which each was given; (d) How many such notices were affected by special circumstances within the meaning of the section; and (e) Whether the Secretary of State has given any general or special directions under Section 194 of the Act to any person in respect of prosecution of defaulting employers, and, if so, to whom. [HL892]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleAlthough there is no express provision for my department to enforce this requirement, employers giving notice to my department, under Section 193 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, of proposed redundancies are reminded of their obligation to copy such a notice to representatives of the employees being consulted and to declare the date on which, and with whom, consultation commenced on form HR1. The operation of this requirement is being considered in the context of the current review of the collective redundancy provisions. The number of notifications received by my department for the years 1998, 1999 and 2000 and the first two months of 2001 were 4,017, 4,189 and 4,418 and 709 respectively. Information on the sectors of industry connected with those notices will have to be compiled from the records of the Redundancy Payments Service, and I shall write to the noble Lord. The number of notices affected by special circumstances within the meaning of the section for the same periods were five, three and one; there were no notices affected by special circumstances for the first two months of 2001. No special or general directions have been given under Section 194 of the Act.