To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress towards the European Union Agency Workers Directive; and what her Department's policy is on the Directive as it stands. [105932]

The Council of Ministers held an informal discussion of the proposal at the March Employment Council. It was concluded that political agreement was not reached, but that there was significant political will to achieve political agreement at the June Employment Council. The Government are not opposed in principle to the proposed directive on temporary agency work, but would like to see a more flexible directive that strikes a balance between protecting agency workers and protecting employment opportunities for agency workers.