HC Deb 12 March 2001 vol 364 cc432-3W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the occasions since 1971 when compensation was paid to individuals who lost their jobs as a result of a change in the law. [152278]

Ms Jowell

Job gains and losses occur for a variety of reasons. Currently, job gains exceed job losses with employment in the UK up 225,000 over the last year (ending October to December 2000) Where job losses occur it is, in general, contrary to EU state aid rules for the Government to compensate companies, partnerships and/or individuals whatever their cause. In these cases, individuals have employment rights including statutory entitlement to redundancy payments from their employer.