News story

Consultation launched on right to request time to train

The legal right for workers in businesses with more than 250 employees to request time to take up relevant training came into effect from April…

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The legal right for workers in businesses with more than 250 employees to request time to take up relevant training came into effect from April 6 this year.

The Government has announced a review of all regulations in a bid to reduce burdens on business. This consultation aims to gather opinions on the right to request time to train and will feed in to the review.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is interested in hearing views on the regulation from employees, businesses and other interested parties.

Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning Minister, John Hayes, said:

“Before we make any decisions about the future of the right to request time to train, it is important that we gauge views of the regulation and whether it is improving training opportunities for employees.

“We believe it is important that all regulations are properly scrutinised and we are therefore interested in hearing views on the future of this right and its role in promoting training in the workplace, which I see as vital to our economic success.

“I have asked my officials to ensure that this consultation is actively promoted to ensure that we get a broad range of views.”

This consultation will be shorter than the normal 12 weeks and will close on September 15. The shorter consultation period will allow all representations to be made before the September 17 deadline for submissions to the next meeting of the Reducing Regulation Committee.

Notes to Editors

  1. The Consultation is available here: [www.bis.gov.uk/time-to-train](http://www.bis.gov.uk/time-to-train)
  2. The right to request time to train is currently available for large businesses only. A phased approach has been adopted to allow small and medium businesses prepare for the regulation which will come into effect for them from April 2011.
  3. In view of the short consultation period, the consultation on the right to request time to train will be actively promoted to interested organisations to ensure that a good response is obtained.
  4. BIS’ online newsroom contains the latest press notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See [http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom](http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom) for more information.

Notes to Editors

Contact Information

Name BIS Press Office Job Title

Division COI Phone

Fax

Mobile

Email NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk

Name Joanna Fletcher Job Title

Division Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Phone 020 7215 5951 Fax

Mobile

Email Joanna.Fletcher@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Published 11 August 2010