§ Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts concerning the agency workers directive; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the proposed legislation in its present form. [93395]
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§ Alan JohnsonThe proposed directive was recently discussed in the European Union Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 3 December 2002, where I represented the United Kingdom. The Department of Trade and Industry has published an explanatory memorandum about the European Commission's revised proposal which sets out the Government's policy on the proposed directive. I have placed a copy of this in the Libraries of the House.