TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) ACT 1992 s.213

TULRCA 1992, s.213 is entitled "Advice".

Amongst its other functions, ACAS is to give "such advice as it thinks appropriate on matters concerned with or affecting or likely to affect industrial relations" (TULRCA 1992, s.213(1)). This does not impose any obligations on ACAS. TULRCA 1992, s.213 is simply an enabling provision ("ACAS may . . ." rather than "ACAS shall . . .").

The advisory side of ACAS's work was downgraded by TURERA 1993 - it now acts more on fire-fighting than fire prevention (see ACAS/summary of 1993 changes ). However the advisory side is still important and in 1997 it dealt with some 507,896 (1997 - 442,062) enquiries through its regional network of Public Enquiry Points from both individual employees and employers (see ACAS/Annual Report for 1998, p.135). The government sees "a good case to consider re-balancing aspects of ACAS's work to give greater emphasis to the advisory and preventive side" (Ian McCartney, DTI Minister of State at the ACAS Senior Managers' conference in Harrogate on 16th October 1997 - see DTI Press Release P/97/666).

ACAS produces many useful publications, including three important "Advisory Handbooks". The three Advisory Handbooks are: "The Employment Handbook", "Employing People - a handbook for small firms" and "Discipline at Work". This last is an essential reference work for anyone in personnel management, industrial relations and/or industrialTribunal cases.