To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his policy towards discrimination on the grounds of age within the labour market.

Our policy is to persuade employers to consider all applicants on merit, without imposing arbitrary age limits on recruitment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of age within the workplace.

We have no plans to introduce legislation on age discrimination, since we believe that it would be difficult to apply and uncertain in its effect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information is available to his Department on legislation in other countries that outlaws age discrimination; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that Canada and the United States of America have legislation on age discrimination in employment. I have not seen any evidence as to its effectiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what (a) information and (b) research he has commissioned into discrimination on the grounds of age in the workplace.

In 1989 my Department commissioned research from the Institute of Manpower Studies into the employment and utilisation of older workers. However, this exercise was mainly concerned with employers' recruitment practices, rather than whether discrimination occurred within the workplace itself.