Written question asked by Huw Edwards (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 November 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 27 November 2000. It was answered by Alan Johnson (Labour) on Monday, 27 November 2000 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many decisions by tribunals there have been in respect of breaches of the working time regulations (a) on holiday entitlements and (b) on maximum working hours. - Inc figures.

Answer: Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many decisions by tribunals there have been in respect of breaches of the working time regulations (a) on holiday entitlements and (b) on maximum working hours. [140253] Mr. Alan Johnson: (a) To date there have been 416 decisions at Employment Tribunals, in Great Britain, registering the Regulations as the primary grounds for complaint. ETS records do not distinguish between different entitlements under the Regulations, but it is believed that the majority relate to paid annual leave. (b) The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities enforce the provisions in the Regulations related to weekly working time limits, limits on night-working and health assessments for night-workers and these are therefore not a matter for the tribunals. The HSE have resolved 416 complaints, 13 of which required Improvement Notices. The HSE have not initiated any prosecutions to date. There are currently no central records of local authority enforcement, but at least one case brought by a local authority has led to a prosecution for breach of the provisions on health assessments for night-workers.

Secondary information