§ 25. Mr. SITCHasked the Minister of Labour the number of cases of infractions of the wages and conditions laid down by the various trade boards which have been reported by trade board inspectors to his Department since the 1st January, 1919, to date?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe information desired is not available for the years 1919, 1920 and 1921. From the beginning of 1922 to the end of November, 1925, failure to pay the appropriate minimum rate of wages to one or more of the workpeople was discovered in 6,270 cases of inspection.
§ 26. Mr. SITCHasked the Minister of Labour the number of cases of infractions of the rates of wages and conditions laid down by the chain and hollow-ware trade boards, respectively, which have been reported to his Department; and the number of cases he has proceeded against in the Law Courts as a result of the failure of employers to comply with the regulations of the said boards since 1st January, 1919, to date?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDParticulars are only available for the period since June, 1920. In that period 25 firms in the chain trade and 32 firms in the hollow-ware trade were found by inspectors to be paying less than the legal minimum rate of wages to one or more of the workpeople. During the same period proceedings for failure to comply with the requirements of the Trade Boards Acts were taken in the Courts against three firms in the chain trade. No such proceedings were taken in the hollow-ware trade.
§ 27. Mr. SITCHasked the Minister of Labour the number of prosecutions which have been instituted by his Department in those trades scheduled under the Trade Boards Acts for failure by the employer to observe the rates of wages or conditions laid down by the trade boards since the 1st January, 1919, to date?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDSine January, 1919, criminal proceedings have been instituted by the Minister of Labour for failure to comply with the requirements of the Trade Boards Acts in 117 cases. In 11 further cases civil proceedings have been instituted for the recovery of arrears of wages due.