§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the European Union Working Time Directive in Northern Ireland. [142688]
§ Jane KennedyThe European Directive on Working Time (93/104/EC) and the related Directive (94/33/EC) on the protection of young people at work were given effect in Northern Ireland by the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, S.R. 1998/386. Subsequently, there have been two significant amendments to the 1998 Regulations, both of which were made this year, namely
the Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, S.R. 2003/119, which implement certain provisions of the 1994 Directive which had not previously been introduced (maximum working day and working week, and restrictions on night work by young workers)the Working Time (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, S.R. 2003/330 which implemented a further Directive known as the Horizontal Amending Directive (2000/34/EC). This extended working time provisions to previously excluded sectors (i.e. air, rail, road, sea, inland waterway and lake transport, sea fishing, other work at sea and doctors in training). The provisions for doctors in training will not apply until 1 August 2004.Certain provisions of the Horizontal Amending Directive, which are being given effect on a UK-wide basis, have yet to be implemented.