§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Minister for Women what assessment has been made of the take-up by women of the right to request flexible working. [146256]
§ Jacqui SmithPreliminary evidence, including hits on the DTI working parents website and requests for guidance, indicate that interest in the right to request flexible working by mothers, and fathers, is high. We recently published the top 10 questions asked by employees when calling the Acas helpline, and continue to gather evidence from a wide number of sources to build up a clear picture of the demand for, and uptake of, the new law.
The Department undertook an employee Work-Life Balance survey in 2003 as a baseline for comparison with a repeat survey due in 2005. The results will contribute to the review of the law that the Government are committed to initiate in 2006. Preliminary employee findings are available on the internet, www.dti.gov.uk/ er/emar/, and we are expecting to publish the full report soon.
383WWe are working with key intermediaries, such as Working Families and Maternity Alliance, who are collating data through member/supporter surveys. These organisations are due to report their findings to coincide with the first anniversary of the new law to request flexible working in April this year. We are also working with Prima Baby magazine which is carrying out a reader survey, and aims to publish the results in the March edition.
The Department has also commissioned questions on flexible working which currently appear in the Office of National Statistics monthly Omnibus survey. The results of these can be made gender specific and will be available in spring 2004.