asked the Minister for the Environment if he will list the local authorities which have adopted the Code of Practice on Security of Employment of Employees of Local Authorities 1985 which adoption was recommended to the management of local authorities on 15 October, 1987; if he will list the local authorities now in breach of the Programme for National Recovery which provides for voluntary redundancy, being those local authorities who have imposed compulsory redundancy, namely, layoff and loss of pay and pensionable service including holidays and Christmas holidays 1987; and the number of employees of compulsory layoff in each case.
Written Answers. - Local Authority Staffs.
156.
The Deputy will appreciate that the employment of staff in employee (i.e. servant) grades is entirely a matter for each local authority. The Code of Practice on Security of Employment of Local Authority Employee Grades is a voluntary, non-statutory code circulated in November, 1985 to all city and county managers who were asked to co-operate with its implementation. Since the terms of the Government's voluntary redundancy/early retirement package were notified to local authorities any reductions in the permanent workforce are being achieved on a voluntary basis. In so far as temporary layoffs or short-time working are concerned I have taken the view that the package must as a priority assist in bringing such measures to an end. In mid-October therefore I authorised local authorities to offer the terms of the package to all grades of eligible staff, including any who are on layoff or short-time working. I have also sanctioned the immediate application of the terms to sufficient numbers of eligible staff to facilitate the termination of layoffs/short-time working. I understand that the overall numbers affected by such arrangements has in fact decreased considerably since October.