Mr Hollis asked the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, upon notice, on 15 February 1999:

(1) Is the Government considering the report of the Review of Funding Arrangements for Long Service Leave in the Black Coal Mining Industry; if so, (a) at what stage is its consideration, (b) when did he receive the report, (c) what were the report's recommendations, (d) which organisations were consulted during the review and (e) which organisations made submissions to the review.

(2) Will he initiate reviews for long service leave arrangements in other industries; if so, which industries.

Mr Reith (Workplace Relations and Small Business) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) Yes

(a) The report was released in December 1998 for public comment. It is expected that all comments in relation to the report's recommendations will have been received in the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business by the end of February. These responses will then be considered together with the findings and recommendations contained in Mr McLaughlin's report.

(b) 26 June 1998

(c) The report recommends that the current arrangements be wound up over the next 12-18 months and replaced by voluntary funding arrangements under which:

- producers who wish to manage their own long service leave obligations can do so; and

- other producers can participate in a voluntary collective fund if they so wish.

(d) ARCO Coal Australia Inc; Australian Collieries Staff Association; Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; BHP Coal Pty Ltd; Camberwell Coal Pty Ltd; Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Corporation; Coal Operations Australia Ltd; Colliery Officials' Association; Communications, Electrical, Plumbing Union; Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union; Ensham Resources Pty Ltd; Esso Australia Resources Ltd; MIM Ltd; Muswellbrook Coal Co Ltd; NSW Minerals Council; Oakdale Collieries; Pacific Coal Pty Ltd; Queensland Mining Council; Rio Tinto Limited; QCT Resources Limited; Shell Coal Australia Limited; Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd; United Collieries; Wambo Mining Corporation Pty Ltd.

(e) ARCO Coal Australia Inc; BHP Coal Pty Ltd; Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Corporation; Coal industry unions—

Joint Submission (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, Communications, Electrical, Plumbing Union, Australian Collieries Staff Association, Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, Collieries Official's Association)

NSW Minerals Council and Queensland Mining Council—Joint Submission

Powercoal Pty Ltd

Rio Tinto Limited

Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd

Westfarmers Coal Limited

(2) On 3 August 1998, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service, the Hon. Dr David Kemp MP, announced that the Government would examine amending the Long Service Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1976 to allow employees in the Commonwealth public sector the opportunity, as part of agreement making, to negotiate whether they wish to retain long service leave as part of their terms and conditions or to vary those provisions. The Labour Ministers' Council has also noted that a research paper on Long Service Leave issues is being prepared for the Council by the Western Australian Government.