§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the underpayment figures, regionally, for underpayment of wages in 1987 and 1988, and the percentage of establishments visited by the inspectorate in the regions which were underpaying in 1987 and 1988.
§ Mr. NichollsThe information for 1987 is contained in the reply given on 4 March 1988 in theOfficial Report at columns 731–36. The information for 1988 is in the reply given on 1 March 1989 in the Official Report at columns 201–6.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if there is a level of wages which the Government treats as excessively low.
§ Mr. NichollsPay generally is a matter for employers and their employees to decide for themselves in the light of all the relevant circumstances.
§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment in the light of the increase in illegal underpayment cases in 1988, what the Government intend to do to halt this trend.
§ Mr. NichollsThe general level of compliance with wages orders remains consistently high. The percentage of workers found to be paid at least the statutory minimum due in checks conducted by the wages inspectorate in 1987 was 96.9 per cent. and 1988 was 96.6 per cent.