EU: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Jim Fitzpatrick) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will be held on 7 November 2006 in Brussels. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Department for Trade and Industry (Alistair Darling) and I will represent the UK. The only item on the agenda is the amended proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/88/EC concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time, for political agreement. The working time directive, adopted in 1993, regulates maximum working hours and entitlements to rest breaks for workers.