To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measures his Department has taken to increase the use of mediation in employment disputes. (148100)

BERR funds the work of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) including the provision of conciliation for employment disputes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the availability of mediation services for employment disputes; and whether his Department plans to increase that availability. (148457)

The Department is aware that mediation is available from a variety of sources including ACAS. The recent consultation, “Resolving disputes in the workplace” sought views on encouraging earlier conciliation in appropriate cases; responses to this will be taken into consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether guidance published by his Department on employment disputes contains information on local mediation services. (148458)

Guidance published by this Department on employment disputes does not contain information on local mediation services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when his Department expects to bring forward proposals on the procedure to reform unfair dismissal employment disputes. (148467)

The consultation paper “Resolving disputes in the workplace”, published on 21 March 2007, invited views on proposals on procedures for unfair dismissal employment disputes. My Department's plans on the way forward will be set out in our response to this consultation which will be published in due course.