§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on the responsibility of employment agencies to interview and assess those responding to job advertisements, where the advertisement is published(a) in a newspaper and (b) on the internet; and if she will make a statement. [82021]
§ Alan JohnsonUnder the legislation covering the private recruitment industry, employment agencies and employment businesses, who have placed job vacancy advertisements in either a newspaper or on the internet, before supplying or introducing a work-seeker to an employer, are required to make all such inquiries as are reasonably practicable to establish that the worker-seeker is suitable and has such qualifications as are required by law and that employment of that work-seeker by the employer would not breach any other duty or restriction imposed by law.
It is in the best interests of all those involved in this sector to ensure that the legislation covering the private recruitment industry operates effectively and is relevant to the flexible labour market of today and of the future. On-line recruitment companies have proposed that the Employment Agency legislation should not apply to on-line job boards. I will consider the case for treating on-line job boards as a special case on its merits within the normal framework.