§ Mr. HendrickTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will finalise the draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations. [72973]
Alan Johnson: I have today published a consultation document on certain aspects of the draft regulations. After the end of the consultation period on 1 November 2002, I intend to lay the draft regulations, subject to any final amendments, with a view to bringing them into force in the first half of 2003. Copies of the consultation document have been sent to those who responded to the previous consultation and I have also placed copies of the document in the Libraries of the House and on the DTI website.
The Government's response to the recent fixed-term public consultation on the draft Fixed-term Employees' (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 was also published today. We intend the fixed-term regulations to come into force on 1 October 2002.