AGRICULTURAL WAGES (REGULATION) ACT.

HC Deb 19 December 1938 vol 342 cc2476-7

74. Mr. Adamson

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many farms are affected by the provisions of the Agricultural Wages Act and the Orders made there-under?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

As the hon. Member will be aware, on many farms in England and Wales no labour is employed other than that of the farmer and his family, and I have no separate particulars of the numbers of farms on which workers are employed under contracts of service, and, as such, subject to the provisions of the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act.

Mr. Adamson

Are there no means of ascertaining the numbers who are employed upon farms?

Mr. Morrison

The figures could, no doubt, be obtained, but at considerable expense, by calling for a separate return. At present my figures do not show as distinct categories those farms on which the work is done by the farmer and his family and those on which a contract of service is the basis of the relations between workers and employers.

Mr. Adamson

Does that mean that the sons of a farmer are not employed by him and do not come under the Agricultural Wages Act?

Mr. Morrison

No, Sir, but in many cases there is no contract of service between a farmer and members of his own family.

Mr. J. Morgan

Could not an abstract of the information be obtained from 4th June returns?

Mr. Morrison

I think that would be a matter of great difficulty.

75. Mr. Adamson

asked the Minister of Agriculture why the intensive inspections in connection with the Agricultural Wages Act ceased at the end of 1931; and whether he will cause them to be resumed, in view of the large sums recovered in respect of arrears of wages as a result of the infringements which they revealed?

Mr. Morrison

The immediate reason for the cessation of the test inspections at the end of 1931 was that the services of the inspectors temporarily engaged for the purpose were dispensed with as part of the economies affected in consquence of the financial crisis at that time. On the matter being subsequently reviewed it was decided that a permanent addition should be made to the staff of inspectors, and I am satisfied that the present staff, conducting as it does test inspections in addition to the investigation of specific complaints, is adequate to ensure the proper administration of the Act.

76. Mr. Adamson

asked the Minister of Agriculture what arrangements are made in his Department for the systematic inspection of farms with a view to ensuring the observance of the Agricultural Wages Orders?

Mr. Morrison

The arrangements for the selection of farms for the purpose of making inquiries into the observance of the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act are based primarily on the desirability of giving attention to the specific complaints by, or on behalf of, individual workers that an infringement of the Minimum Wage Orders has occurred. The country as a whole is reasonably covered in the course of these investigations. In addition, however, to the investigation of particular complaints, inspectors undertake test inspections of farms in respect of which no complaint has been received.