House of Commons Hansard Debates for 2 Dec 1999 (pt 5)

Older Workers

12. Dr. Vincent Cable (Twickenham): What assessment he has made of barriers to employment, including age discrimination, facing older workers. [99352]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Ms Margaret Hodge): The Government continue to assess the employment barriers facing older workers. We now publish annual key indicators and we are assessing rigorously the impact of the code of practice on age diversity. We are also assessing the pathfinder pilots on the new deal for 50-plus and the new deal for disabled people. In December 1998, the Prime Minister asked the performance and innovation unit in the Cabinet Office to undertake an assessment of the full impact of the trend towards economic inactivity among older people. The project findings will be published in the new year.

Dr. Cable: Does the Minister agree that age discrimination is pervasive and extremely damaging to individuals and the economy as a whole, and, if so, do the Government have any plans to legislate to outlaw it? What plans do they have to improve practice within the public sector, which they directly control, to avoid the kind of situation that affects one of my constituents, who is desperate to work because he has no pension entitlement,

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who is fighting fit as he is a former world boxing champion, who applied to the Post Office for a job as a postman, of which we are desperately short, and who was told that because he was 59 he was too old and there were no circumstances under which he could be hired?

Ms Hodge: I certainly agree that discrimination against older workers is damaging to them and the economy, and that we cannot take unfair advantage of older people's long service and experience. On legislative intervention, the Prime Minister gave an undertaking to review the effectiveness of our code on age discrimination. I stress to the hon. Gentleman that experience elsewhere leaves us with some questions. For example, fewer older workers participate in the work forces of Spain and Canada, which have legislated against age discrimination, than in that of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom's record places it third in Europe, after Denmark and Sweden. All three countries have no legislation on the subject.

On the point about the public sector showing an example, we are doing that through the new deal for 50-plus and the new deal for disabled people, of whom 50 per cent. are over 50. Government Departments are re-examining their retirement age, and I am delighted that someone in my private office has been given the cheerful news that she can remain there after the age of 60.

Mr. Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): Does my hon. Friend agree that, rather than legislating, we should take a lead in highlighting the fact that many talented people in their 50s and 60s, who have an excellent education, skills and enormous experience, should use that talent in many jobs, including in education? Does my hon. Friend agree that our employment policies have led to skill shortages and that we need those talented older people to fill jobs?

Ms Hodge: As my hon. Friend was my contemporary at university, he is in the over-50 age group. I am delighted that the House has had the common sense to use him by appointing him to the chair of the Education Sub-Committee. I welcome him to that post. I agree with him entirely that experience, talent and a long record in work is crucial to ensure economic prosperity and to take advantage of individuals' great skills.

Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West): But when the right hon. Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), who is now Minister of State, Cabinet Office, was in opposition, he made it clear that a Labour Government would legislate on the subject. Can the Minister tell the House why the Government have resiled from that commitment?

Ms Hodge: I can inform the hon. Gentleman that we have published a code on age diversity. We rigorously monitor the code, and the Prime Minister has given a commitment to the House that if the code does not operate effectively, we will consider legislation.

Child Care

13. Mrs. Anne Campbell (Cambridge): What progress has been made in delivering child care information to parents. [R] [99353]

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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Ms Margaret Hodge): Building on the innovative work of my hon. Friend, excellent progress has been made to improve parents' access to good quality child care information. All early years development and child care partnerships are developing local children's information services that meet minimum service standards. Yesterday, I launched ChildcareLink, a freephone national child care information line and child care website.

Mrs. Campbell: As the unremunerated chair of opportunity links, I have a relevant registered interest in the provision of child care information. Does my hon. Friend agree that easily accessible information on child care is vital to help parents to return to work? Does she also agree that information must be accurate, timely and bang up to the minute in order to be effective?

Ms Hodge: I agree entirely that information is crucial, and I was delighted when I recently visited a site in a supermarket to discover that 200 hits a day were made by people matching their child care needs to child care places. We are funding local authorities generously to ensure that they can keep their information networks up to date. This year, that funding has increased by 150 per cent. We are considering the further assistance that we can provide to monitor and support partnerships and thus ensure that their information is up to date.

Class Sizes

14. Mrs. Jacqui Lait (Beckenham): If he will make a statement on the impact of the Government's class size pledge on (a) capital expenditure on school buildings and (b) the provision of teachers. [99354]

The Minister for School Standards (Ms Estelle Morris): So far, our class size pledge has resulted in the allocation of capital funding of more than £122 million to build 1,700 extra infant classrooms and revenue funding of more than £100.5 million to recruit 4,600 extra infant teachers. In total, £620 million is available for additional classrooms and teachers to reduce infant class sizes.

Mrs. Lait: I thank the Minister for that reply. Is she aware that a primary school in Beckenham has had to double its planned size because of the effect of the 30-pupil limit? Can she guarantee that the capital funding required for that school will be provided without affecting the capital funding required for other primary schools also to meet the 30 limit? Can she also guarantee that sufficient teachers will be available when that school comes on-stream in two years' time?

Ms Morris: Yes, I am happy to give the hon. Lady those guarantees if that is the plan that has been approved and agreed between the Department and the local authority--I do not have it in front of me. We have always said that we shall provide both the capital and the revenue separate from other funding that goes to local authorities. That is yet another example of the Government putting money into raising standards for children, and I am pleased that the hon. Lady welcomes the doubling of places at what I assume is a popular school in her constituency.

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