Gordon Brown the Prime Minister has indicated that the Government are preparing to ban blacklisting.

When asked at Prime Minister's Question Time by Michael Clapham the Chair of the UCATT group of MPs, whether it was now time to bring in regulations to prohibit blacklisting, Mr Brown, said: "I am, as are the whole Government, very concerned by the evidence uncovered by the Information Commissioner about the re-emergence of blacklisting in the construction industry. In 1999, we established a power to introduce regulations to outlaw blacklisting, and we also consulted on draft regulations in 2003. Evidence at that time suggested that blacklisting had been eradicated but, given that there is new evidence that that is not the case, we are looking urgently at what we can do. We will assess whether the 2003 regulations, amended as necessary, should now be introduced to the House of Commons."

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In response to Mr Brown's statement Alan Ritchie General Secretary of construction union UCATT, said: "I am pleased that the Prime Minister has clearly indicated that blacklisting will be banned. It is monstrous that in the 21st century the majority of major construction companies were engaged in blacklisting. They were content to deny work simply because of a persons union membership or because they had tried to improve site safety."

(CD/JM)