Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978

• Citation: 1978 c. 44
• Sections: 194

Section 2A Particulars of disciplinary procedures not required where less than 20 employees.

(1) The note which, by virtue of subsection (4) of section 1, is required to be included in a statement given to an employee under that section need not comply with the following provisions of that subsection, namely—

(a) paragraph (a),

(b) in paragraph (b), sub-paragraph (i) and the words following sub-paragraph (ii) so far as relating to sub-paragraph (i), and

(c) paragraph (c),

if on the date when the employee’s employment began the relevant number of employees was less than twenty.

(2) In subsection (1) “ the relevant number of employees ”, in relation to an employee, means the number of employees employed by his employer added to the number of employees employed by any associated employer.

Section 5A Employees becoming or ceasing to be excluded from ss. 1 to 4.

(1) Sections 1 to 4 shall apply to an employee who at any time comes or ceases to come within the exceptions from those sections provided for by section 5, 141, 144, 145 or 146(4) to (7), or under section 149, as if his employment with his employer terminated or began at that time.

(2) Subsection (1) of section 1 shall apply to an employee who ceases to come within the exception provided by section 5 with the substitution for the words “thirteen weeks” of the words “one month”.

(3) The fact that section 1 is directed to apply to an employee as if his employment began on his ceasing to come within one of the exceptions referred to in subsection (1) shall not affect the obligation under subsection (2)(b) of that section to specify the date on which his employment actually began.

Section 33 General right to maternity leave.

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Section 34 Commencement of maternity leave period.

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Section 35 Duration of maternity leave period.

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Section 36 Notice of commencement of leave.

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Section 37 Requirement to inform employer of pregnancy etc.

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Section 37A Requirement to inform employer of return during maternity leave period.

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Section 38 Special provision where redundancy during maternity leave period.

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Section 38A Contractual right to maternity leave.

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Section 48 Contractual right to return to work.

(1) An employee who has a right both under this Act and under a contract of employment, or otherwise, to return to work, may not exercise the two rights separately but may in returning to work take advantage of whichever right is, in any particular respect, the more favourable.

(2) The provisions of sections 45, 46, 47, 56 and 86 and paragraphs 1 to 4 and 6 of Schedule 2 shall apply, subject to any modifications necessary to give effect to any more favourable contractual terms, to the exercise of the composite right described in subsection (1) as they apply to the exercise of the right to return conferred solely by this Part.

Section 57AA Dismissal of employee representatives.

The dismissal of an employee by an employer shall be regarded for the purposes of this Part as having been unfair if the reason for it (or, if more than one, the principal reason) was that the employee, being—

(a) an employee representative for the purposes of Chapter II of Part IV of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 or Regulations 10 and 11 of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981, or

(b) a candidate in an election in which any person elected will, on being elected, be such an employee representative,

performed, or proposed to perform, any functions or activities as such an employee representative or candidate.

Section 138 Application of Act to Crown employment.

(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7) For the purposes of the application of the provisions of this Act in relation to Crown employment in accordance with subsection (1)—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 138A Application of Act to armed forces.

(1) The provisions of this Act which apply, by virtue of section 138, to service as a member of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown are—

Part I;

in Part II, sections 19 to 22 and 31A;

Part III;

in Part IV, section 53;

Part V, except sections 57A 57AA, and 80;

Part VIII; and

this Part.

(2) Her Majesty may, by Order in Council,—

(a) amend subsection (1) above by making additions to, or omissions from, the provisions for the time being specified in that subsection by an Order under this subsection; and

(b) make any provision apply to service as a member of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown subject to such exceptions and modifications as may be specified in the Order.

(3) Subject to subsection (5) below, modifications made under subsection (2) above may include provision precluding the making of a complaint or reference to any employment tribunal unless the person aggrieved has availed himself of the service procedures for the redress of complaints applicable to him.

(4) Where modifications include the provision authorised by subsection (3) above the Order in Council shall also include provision designed to secure that the service procedures for the redress of complaints result in a determination, or what is to be treated under the Order as a determination, in sufficient time to enable a complaint or reference to be made to an employment tribunal .

(5) No provision shall be made by virtue of subsection (3) above which has the effect of substituting, for any period specified as the normal period for a complaint or reference on any matter to an employment tribunal , a period longer than six months.

(6) No recommendation shall be made to Her Majesty to make an Order in Council under subsection (2) above unless a draft of the Order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(7) In this section—

“ the normal period for a complaint or reference ”, in relation to any matter within the jurisdiction of an employment tribunal , means the period specified in the relevant enactment as the period within which the complaint or reference must be made, disregarding any provision permitting an extension of that period at the discretion of the tribunal; and

“ the service procedures for the redress of complaints ” means the procedures, excluding those which relate to the making of a report on a complaint to Her Majesty, referred to in sections 180 and 181 of the Army Act 1955, sections 180 and 181 of the Air Force Act 1955 and section 130 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957.

Section 139 Provisions as to House of Commons staff.

(1) The provisions of Parts I . . ., II, III , V and VIII , and this Part and section 53 shall apply to relevant members of House of Commons staff as they apply to persons in Crown employment within the meaning of section 138 and accordingly for the purposes of the application of those provisions in relation to any such members—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 139A Provisions as to House of Lords staff.

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(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) For the purposes of the application of the enactments applied by subsection (1) in relation to a relevant member of the House of Lords staff—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 13

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Section 1

References in this Part to provisions of this Act relating to unfair dismissal are references to those provisions as they apply by virtue of section 56.

Section 2

(1) Section 57 shall have effect as if for subsection (3) there were substituted the following subsection:—

(3) Where the employer has fulfilled the requirements of subsection (1), then, subject to sections 57A to 61 , and to sections 152, 153 and 238 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (provisions as to dismissal on ground of trade union membership or activities or in connection with industrial action), the determination of the question whether the dismissal was fair or unfair, having regard to the reason shown by the employer, shall depend on whether in the circumstances (including the size and administrative resources of the employer’s undertaking) the employer would have been acting reasonably or unreasonably in treating it as a sufficient reason for dismissing the employee if she had not been absent from work; and that question shall be determined in accordance with equity and substantial merits of the case.

(2) If in the circumstances described in section 41(1) no offer is made of such alternative employment as is referred to in that subsection, then the dismissal which by virtue of section 56 is treated as taking place shall, notwithstanding anything in section 57 . . ., be treated as an unfair dismissal for the purposes of Part V of this Act.

(3) The following references shall be construed as references to the notified day of return, that is to say—

(a) references in Part V of this Act to the effective date of termination;

(b) references in sections 69 and 70 to the date of termination of employment.

(4) The following provisions of this Act shall not apply, that is to say, sections 55, . . ., 64(1), 65, 66, 73(5) and (6), 141(2), 142(1), and 144(2) , paragraph 11(1) of Schedule 13, paragraphs 7(1)(f) to (i) and (2) and 8(3) of Schedule 14 and paragraph 10 of Schedule 15.

(5) For the purposes of Part II of Schedule 14 as it applies for the calculation of a week’s pay for the purposes of section 71 or 73, the calculation date is the last day on which the employee worked under her contract of employment immediately before the beginning of her maternity leave period .

Section 3

References in this Part to provisions of this Act relating to redundancy are references to those provisions as they apply by virtue of section 86.

Section 4

(1) References in Part VI of this Act shall be adapted as follows, that is to say—

(a) references to the relevant date, wherever they occur, shall be construed, except where the context otherwise requires, as references to the notified day of return;

(b) references in sections 82(4) and 84(1) to a renewal or re-engagement taking effect immediately on the ending of employment under the previous contract or after an interval of not more than four weeks thereafter, shall be construed as references to a renewal or re-engagement taking effect on the notified day of return or not more than four weeks after that day; and

(c) the reference in section 84(3) to the provisions of the previous contract shall be construed as a reference to the provisions of the contract under which the employee worked immediately before the beginning of her maternity leave period.

(2) Nothing in section 86 shall prevent an employee from being treated, by reason of the operation of section 84(1), as not having been dismissed for the purposes of Part VI of this Act.

(3) The following provisions of this Act shall not apply, that is to say, sections 81(1)(b), 82(1) and (2), 83(1) and (2), 85, 87 to 89, 90(3), 92, 93, 96, 110, 144(2), and 150, paragraph 4 of Schedule 4, Schedule 12 and paragraphs 7(1)(j) and (k) and 8(4) of Schedule 14.

(4) For the purposes of Part II of Schedule 14 as it applies for the calculation of a week’s pay for the purposes of Schedule 4, the calculation date is the last day on which the employee worked under her contract of employment immediately before the beginning of her maternity leave period .

Section 5

If, in proceedings arising out of a failure to permit an employee to return to work in accordance with section 42 , the employer shows—

(a) that the reason for the failure is that the employee is redundant; and

(b) that the employee was dismissed or, had she continued to be employed by him, would have been dismissed, by reason of redundancy on a day falling after the commencement of her maternity leave period and before the notified day of return ,

then, for the purposes of Part VI of this Act the employee—

(i) shall not be treated as having been dismissed with effect from the notified day of return; but

(ii) shall, if she would not otherwise be so treated, be treated as having been continuously employed until that earlier day and as having been dismissed by reason of redundancy with effect from that day.

Section 6

(1) This paragraph applies where an employee has the right to return to work under section 39 and either her maternity leave period ends by reason of dismissal or she is dismissed after her maternity leave period.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), an employee shall not be taken to be dismissed after her maternity leave period if the dismissal occurs in the course of the employee’s attempting to return to work in accordance with her contract in circumstances in which section 44 applies.

(3) In the application of Part V of this Act to a dismissal to which this paragraph applies, the following provisions shall not apply, that is to say, sections . . . , 64, 65, 66, 141(2), and 144(2) .

(4) Any such dismissal shall not affect the employee’s right to return to work, but—

(a) compensation in any unfair dismissal proceedings arising out of that dismissal shall be assessed without regard to the employee’s right to return; and

(b) that right shall be exercisable only on her repaying any redundancy payment or compensation for unfair dismissal paid in respect of that dismissal, if the employer requests such repayment.

Section 7

(1) The Secretary of State may by order amend the provisions of this Schedule and section 44 or modify the application of those provisions to any description of case.

(2) No order under this paragraph shall be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

Section 1

In this Schedule the “ period of notice ” means the period of notice required by section 49(1) or, as the case may be, section 49(2).

Section 2

(1) If an employee has normal working hours under the contract of employment in force during the period of notice, and if during any part of those normal working hours—

(a) the employee is ready and willing to work but no work is provided for him by his employer; or

(b) the employee is incapable of work because of sickness or injury; or

(ba) the employee is absent from work wholly or partly because of pregnancy or childbirth; or

(c) the employee is absent from work in accordance with the terms of his employment relating to holidays.

then the employer shall be liable to pay the employee for the part of normal working hours covered by paragraphs (a), (b) , (ba) and (c) a sum not less than the amount of remuneration for that part of normal working hours calculated at the average hourly rate of remuneration produced by dividing a week’s pay by the number of normal working hours.

(2) Any payments made to the employee by his employer in respect of the relevant part of the period of notice whether by way of sick pay statutory sick pay , maternity pay, statutory maternity pay, holiday pay or otherwise, shall go towards meeting the employer’s liability under this paragraph.

(3) Where notice was given by the employee, the employer’s liability under this paragraph shall not arise unless and until the employee leaves the service of the employer in pursuance of the notice.

Section 3

(1) If an employee does not have normal working hours under the contract of employment in force in the period of notice the employer shall be liable to pay the employee for each week of the period of notice a sum not less than a week’s pay.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), the employer’s obligation under this paragraph shall be conditional on the employee being ready and willing to do work of a reasonable nature and amount to earn a week’s pay.

(3) Sub-paragraph (2) shall not apply—

(a) in respect of any period during which the employee is incapable of work because of sickness or injury, or

(aa) in respect of any period during which the employee is absent from work wholly or partly because of pregnancy or childbirth, or

(b) in respect of any period during which the employee is absent from work in accordance with the terms of his employment relating to holidays,

and any payment made to an employee by his employer in respect of such a period, whether by way of sick pay statutory sick pay , maternity pay, statutory maternity pay, holiday pay or otherwise, shall be taken into account for the purposes of this paragraph as if it were remuneration paid by the employer in respect of that period.

(4) Where the notice was given by the employee, the employer’s liability under this paragraph shall not arise unless and until the employee leaves the service of the employer in pursuance of the notice.

Section 4

(1) The following provisions of this paragraph shall have effect where the arrangements in force relating to the employment are such that—

(a) payments by way of sick pay are made by the employer to employees to whom the arrangements apply, in cases where any such employees are incapable of work because of sickness or injury, and

(b) in calculating any payment so made to any such employee an amount representing, or treated as representing, short-term incapacity benefit or industrial injury benefit is taken into account, whether by way of deduction or by way of calculating the payment as a supplement to that amount.

(2) If during any part of the period of notice the employee is incapable of work because of sickness or injury, and—

(a) one or more payments, by way of sick pay are made to him by the employer in respect of that part of the period of notice, and

(b) in calculating any such payment such an amount as is referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) is taken into account as therein mentioned,

then for the purposes of this Schedule the amount so taken into account shall be treated as having been paid by the employer to the employee by way of sick pay in respect of that part of that period, and shall go towards meeting the liability of the employer under paragraph 2 or paragraph 3 accordingly.

Section 5

The employer shall not be liable under the foregoing provisions of this Schedule to make any payment in respect of a period during which the employee is absent from work with the leave of the employer granted at the request of the employee (including any period of time off taken in accordance with section 29, 31 or 31A of this Act or section 168 or 170 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 .

Section 6

No payment shall be due under this Schedule in consequence of a notice to terminate a contract given by an employee if, after the notice is given and on or before the termination of the contract, the employee takes part in a strike of employees of the employer.

In this paragraph “ strike ” has the meaning given by paragraph 24 of Schedule 13.

Section 7

(1) If, during the period of notice, the employer breaks the contract of employment, payments received under this Schedule in respect of the part of the period after the breach shall go towards mitigating the damages recoverable by the employee for loss of earnings in that part of the period of notice.

(2) If, during the period of notice, the employee breaks the contract and the employer rightfully treats the breach as terminating the contract, no payment shall be due to the employee under this Schedule in respect of the part of the period of notice falling after the termination of the contract.

Section 1

The amount of a redundancy payment to which an employee is entitled in any case shall, subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, be calculated by reference to the period, ending with the relevant date, during which he has been continuously employed.

Section 2

Subject to paragraphs 3 and 4, the amount of the redundancy payment shall be calculated by reference to the period specified in paragraph 1 by starting at the end of that period and reckoning backwards the number of years of employment falling within that period, and allowing—

(a) one and a half weeks’ pay for each such year of employment in which the employee was not below the age of forty-one;

(b) one week’s pay for each such year of employment (not falling within the preceding sub-paragraph) in which the employee was not below the age of twenty-two; and

(c) half a week’s pay for each such year of employment not falling within either of the preceding sub-paragraphs.

Section 3

Where, in reckoning the number of years of employment in accordance with paragraph 2, twenty years of employment have been reckoned, no account shall be taken of any year of employment earlier than those twenty years.

Section 4

(1) Where in the case of an employee the relevant date is after the specified anniversary, the amount of the redundancy payment, calculated in accordance with the preceding provisions of this Schedule, shall be reduced by the appropriate fraction.

(2) In this paragraph “ the specified anniversary ”, in relation to an employee, means the sixty-fourth anniversary of the day of his birth, and “ the appropriate fraction ” means the fraction of which—

(a) the numerator is the number of whole months, reckoned from the specified anniversary, in the period beginning with that anniversary and ending with the relevant date, and

(b) the denominator is twelve.

Section 5

For the purposes of any provision contained in Part VI whereby an industrial tribunal may determine that an employer shall be liable to pay to an employee either—

(a) the whole of the redundancy payment to which the employee would have been entitled apart from another provision therein mentioned, or

(b) such part of that redundancy payment as the tribunal thinks fit,

the preceding provisions of this Schedule shall apply as if in those provisions any reference to the amount of a redundancy payment were a reference to the amount of redundancy payment to which the employee would have been so entitled.

Section 6

The preceding provisions of this Schedule shall have effect without prejudice to the operation of any regulations made under section 98 whereby the amount of a redundancy payment, or part of a redundancy payment, may be reduced.

Section 1

A Regional Health Authority, District Health Authority Family Practitioner Committee , preserved Board (within the meaning of section 15(6) of the National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973), special health authority, Health Board or the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.

Section 2

The Dental Estimates Board.

Section 3

Any joint committee constituted under section 2(11) of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 .

Section 4

The Public Health Laboratory Service Board.

Section 5

A State Hospital Management Committee.

Section 1

(1) Where the employer’s payment is a redundancy payment, the sum referred to in section 106(2) is a sum equal to the amount of that payment.

(2) Where, in a case falling within section 106(1B) , the employer’s payment is part of a redundancy payment, the sum referred to in section 106(2) is a sum equal to the amount of that part of the payment.

Section 2

(1) Where the employer’s payment is not a redundancy payment or part of a redundancy payment, the sum referred to in section 106(2) is a sum equal to—

(a) the amount of the employers’ payment, or

(b) the amount of the relevant redundancy payment, whichever is less.

(2) The reference in sub-paragraph (1)(b) to the amount of the relevant redundancy payment is a reference to the amount of the redundancy payment which the employer would have been liable to pay to the employee if—

(a) the order in force in respect of the agreement as mentioned in section 106(1A)(b) had not been made;

(b) the circumstances in which the employer’s payment is payable had been such that the employer was liable to pay a redundancy payment to the employee in those circumstances;

(c) the relevant date, in relation to any such redundancy payment, had been the date on which the termination of the employee’s contract of employment is treated for the purposes of the agreement as having taken effect; and

(d) in so far as the provisions of the agreement which relate to the following matters, that is to say—

(i) the circumstances in which the continuity of an employee’s period of employment is to be treated as broken, and

(ii) the weeks which are to count in computing a period of employment,

are inconsistent with the provisions of Schedule 13 as to those matters, those provisions of the agreement were substituted for those provisions of that Schedule.

(3) In sub-paragraph (2) “ the agreement ” means the agreement falling within section 106(1A)(b) by reference to which the employer’s payment is payable.

Section 1

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations (in this Schedule referred to as “ the regulations ”) make such provision as appears to him to be necessary or expedient with respect to proceedings before industrial tribunals.

(2) The regulations may in particular include provision—

(a) for determining by which tribunal any appeal, question application or complaint is to be determined;

(b) for enabling an industrial tribunal to hear and determine proceedings brought by virtue of section 131 concurrently with proceedings brought before the tribunal otherwise than by virtue of that section;

(c) for treating the Secretary of State (either generally or in such circumstances as may be prescribed by the regulations) as a party to any proceedings before an industrial tribunal, where he would not otherwise be a party to them, and entitling him to appear and to be heard accordingly;

(d) for requiring persons to attend to give evidence and produce documents, and for authorising the administration of oaths to witnesses;

(e) for enabling an industrial tribunal, on the application of any party to proceedings before it or of its own motion, to order—

(i) in England and Wales, such discovery or inspection of documents, or the furnishing of such further particulars, as might be ordered by a county court on an application by a party to proceedings before it, or

(ii) in Scotland, such recovery or inspection of documents as might be ordered by the sheriff;

(f) for prescribing the procedure to be followed on any appeal, reference or complaint or other proceedings before an industrial tribunal, including provisions as to the persons entitled to appear and to be heard on behalf of parties to such proceedings, and provisions for enabling an industrial tribunal to review its decisions, and revoke or vary its orders and awards, in such circumstances as may be determined in accordance with the regulations;

(g) for the appointment of one or more assessors for the purposes of any proceedings before an industrial tribunal, where the proceedings are brought under an enactment which provides for one or more assessors to be appointed;

(ga) for authorising an industrial tribunal to require persons to furnish information and produce documents to a person required for the purposes of section 2A(1)(b) of the Equal Pay Act 1970 to prepare a report;

(h) for the award of costs or expenses, including any allowances payable under paragraph 10 other than allowances payable to members of industrial tribunals or assessors;

(i) for taxing or otherwise settling any such costs or expenses (and, in particular, in England and Wales, for enabling such costs to be taxed in the county court); and

(j) for the registration and proof of decisions, orders and awards of industrial tribunals.

(3) In relation to proceedings on complaints under section 67 or any other enactment in relation to which there is provision for conciliation, the regulations shall include provision—

(a) for requiring a copy of any such complaint, and a copy of any notice relating to it which is lodged by or on behalf of the employer against whom the complaint is made, to be sent to a conciliation officer;

(b) for securing that the complainant and the employer against whom the complaint is made are notified that the services of a conciliation officer are available to them; and

(c) for postponing the hearing of any such complaint for such period as may be determined in accordance with the regulations for the purpose of giving an opportunity for the complaint to be settled by way of conciliation and withdrawn.

(4) In relation to proceedings under section 67—

(a) where the employee has expressed a wish to be reinstated or re-engaged which has been communicated to the employer at least seven days before the hearing of the complaint; or

(b) where the proceedings arise out of the employer’s failure to permit the employee to return to work after an absence due to pregnancy or childbirth ,

regulations shall include provision for requiring the employer to pay the costs or expenses of any postponement or adjournment of the hearing caused by his failure, without a special reason, to adduce reasonable evidence as to the availability of the job from which the complainant was dismissed, or, as the case may be, which she held before her absence, or of comparable or suitable employment.

(4A) Without prejudice to sub-paragraph (5) or paragraph 2, a Minister of the Crown may on grounds of national security direct an industrial tribunal to sit in private when hearing or determining any proceedings specified in the direction.

(5) Without prejudice to paragraph 2, the regulations may enable an industrial tribunal to sit in private for the purpose of hearing evidence which in the opinion of the tribunal relates to matters of such a nature that it would be against the interests of national security to allow the evidence to be given in public or of hearing evidence from any person which in the opinion of the tribunal is likely to consist of—

(a) information which he could not disclose without contravening a prohibition imposed by or under any enactment; or

(b) any information which has been communicated to him in confidence, or which he has otherwise obtained in consequence of the confidence reposed in him by another person; or

(c) information the disclosure of which would, for reasons other than its effect on negotiations with respect to any of the matters mentioned in section 29(1) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 (matters to which trade disputes relate) cause substantial injury to any undertaking of his or in which he works.

(5A) The regulations may include provision—

(a) for cases involving allegations of the commission of sexual offences, for securing that the registration or other making available of documents or decisions shall be so effected as to prevent the identification of any person affected by or making the allegation;

(b) for cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct, enabling an industrial tribunal, on the application of any party to proceedings before it or of its own motion, to make a restricted reporting order having effect (if not revoked earlier) until the promulgation of the decision of the tribunal.

In this sub-paragraph—

“ identifying matter ”, in relation to a person, means any matter likely to lead members of the public to identify him as a person affected by, or as the person making, the allegation;

“ restricted reporting order ” means an order prohibiting the publication in Great Britain of identifying matter in a written publication available to the public or its inclusion in a relevant programme for reception in Great Britain;

“ sexual misconduct ” means the commission of a sexual offence, sexual harassment or other adverse conduct (of whatever nature) related to sex, and conduct is related to sex whether the relationship with sex lies in the character of the conduct or in its having reference to the sex or sexual orientation of the person at whom the conduct is directed;

“ sexual offence ” means any offence to which section 141A(2) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, section 4 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976 or the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 applies (offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956, the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 1976 and certain other enactments);

and “ written publication ” and “ relevant programme ” have the same meaning as in that Act of 1992.

(6) The regulations may include provision authorising or requiring an industrial tribunal, in circumstances specified in the regulations, to send (subject to any regulations under sub-paragraph (5A)(a)) notice or a copy of any document so specified relating to any proceedings before the tribunal, or of any decision, order or award of the tribunal, to any government department or other person or body so specified.

(7) Any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any requirement imposed by the regulations by virtue of subparagraph (2)( d ) or (ga) or any requirement with respect to the discovery, recovery or inspection of documents so imposed by virtue of subparagraph (2)( e ) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale .

(8) If any identifying matter is published or included in a relevant programme in contravention of a restricted reporting order the following persons shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale—

(a) in the case of publication in a newspaper or periodical, any proprietor, any editor and any publisher of the newspaper or periodical;

(b) in the case of publication in any other form, the person publishing the matter; and

(c) in the case of matter included in a relevant programme—

(i) any body corporate engaged in providing the service in which the programme is included; and

(ii) any person having functions in relation to the programme corresponding to those of an editor of a newspaper.

Expressions used in this sub-paragraph and in sub-paragraph (5A) have the same meaning in this sub-paragraph as in that sub-paragraph.

(9) Where a person is charged with an offence under sub-paragraph (8) it shall be a defence to prove that at the time of the alleged offence he was not aware, and neither suspected nor had reason to suspect, that the publication or programme in question was of, or (as the case may be) included, the matter in question.

(10) Where an offence under sub-paragraph (8) committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of—

(a) a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or

(b) a person purporting to act in any such capacity,

he as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of the offence and liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

(11) In relation to a body corporate whose affairs are managed by its members “ director ”, in sub-paragraph (10), means a member of the body corporate.

Section 1A

(1) The regulations may include provision—

(a) for authorising the carrying out by an industrial tribunal of a preliminary consideration of any proceedings before it (“ a pre-hearing review ”); and

(b) for enabling such powers to be exercised in connection with a pre-hearing review as may be prescribed by the regulations.

(2) The regulations may in particular include provision—

(a) for authorising any . . . tribunal carrying out a pre-hearing review under the regulations to make, in circumstances specified in the regulations, an order requiring a party to the proceedings in question, if he wishes to continue to participate in those proceedings, to pay a deposit of an amount not exceeding £150;

(b) for prescribing—

(i) the manner in which the amount of any such deposit is to be determined in any particular case,

(ii) the consequences of non-payment of any such deposit, and

(iii) the circumstances in which any such deposit, or any part of it, may be refunded to the party who paid it, or be paid over to another party to the proceedings.

(3) The Secretary of State may from time to time by order substitute for the sum specified in sub-paragraph (2)(a) such other sum as is specified in the order.

Section 1B

The regulations may also include provision for authorising an industrial tribunal to hear and determine any issue relating to the entitlement of any party to proceedings to bring or contest the proceedings in advance of the hearing and determination of the proceedings by that or any other industrial tribunal.

Section 2

(1) If on a complaint under—

(a) section 146 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (action short of dismissal on grounds related to union membership or activities), or

(b) section 67 of this Act (unfair dismissal),

it is shown that the action complained of was taken for the purpose of safe-guarding national security, the industrial tribunal shall dismiss the complaint.

(2) Except where the complaint is that a dismissal is unfair by reason of section 57A, 57AA, 59(1)(a) or 60, a certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of a Minister of the Crown, and certifying that the action specified in the certificate was taken for the purpose of safeguarding national security, shall for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) be conclusive evidence of that fact.

Section 4

The Arbitration Act 1950 shall not apply to any proceedings before an industrial tribunal.

Section 5

Where in accordance with the regulations an industrial tribunal determines in the same proceedings—

(a) a question referred to it under sections 81 to 102, and

(b) a complaint presented under section 67,

section 91(2) shall not have effect for the purposes of the proceedings in so far as they relate to the complaint under section 67.