To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations over the EC's draft directives on employment.

Steady progress is being made on certain aspects of the European Commission's social action programme, particularly in the areas of health and safety, and free movement of workers. However, many member states continue to have major difficulties with the substance and proposed legal base of other proposals, notably in the area of employee rights.

Can my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that there is a growing awareness among the Governments of the European Community member states that the implications of several of the draft directives, including those on working time and part-time work, need to be studied extremely carefully before any approval can be given? Does he think it strange that the only part of Europe where there appears to be a continuing willingness to sign up to anything and everything is the Opposition Front Bench?

My hon. Friend is entirely right, but, of course, what he describes is entirely typical of the Labour party's blind attitude to such matters. It is significant that neither of the draft directives that my hon. Friend mentioned was even discussed at the last meeting of the Social Affairs Council.

Will the Secretary of State confirm that no EC directive on employment contains a clause that would allow the sacking of a nurse or doctor who spoke up for a patient rather than in support of management cuts? Will he now take the opportunity to condemn the sacking of Graham Pink, a nurse who spoke out for patient care rather than for cuts in hospital services?

I am afraid that I am not familiar with the facts and circumstances of that particular case. It is only a person as irresponsible as someone sitting on the Labour Benches who would expect anyone to comment on the circumstances of a particular case without having full knowledge of them. It was a Conservative Government who first introduced the right for workers to take a complaint for unfair dismissal to an industrial tribunal, so we shall not take any lectures from the Labour party on that matter either.

Can my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that the social action programme could threaten 100,000 jobs in this country?

I fear that my hon. Friend's estimate is a considerable underestimate. The damage that the social action programme would do to employment would be much graver than my hon. Friend suggests, but, of course, that matter is regarded as of no consequence by the employment vandals on the Labour Benches.