Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the EU Commission on the UK's implementation of the Working Time Directive.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is in regular contact with the European Commission on a range of issues. In 2014 the European Commission requested national reports on the practical implementation of the Working Time Directive. The Government provided its response on 31 October 2014, setting out recent developments in case law, and evidence of the impacts of the Working Time Directive. That evidence was recently published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389676/bis-14-1287-the-impact-of-the-working-time-regulations-on-the-uk-labour-market-a-review-of-evidence.pdf

The response re-iterated the Government’s priorities for the future of the Working Time Directive. They are to maintain the economy-wide individual right to opt-out of the 48 hour working week, and seek more flexibility following EU court rulings around on-call time, compensatory rest and holiday pay.