§ 21. Mr. Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in which Colonial and trust territories the minimum wage rates are assessed on a family budget of three persons; and in which territories they are fixed on the subsistence level of one adult male worker.
§ Mr. ProfumoFamily responsibilities are no doubt taken into account when statutory minimum wages are fixed but, so far as I am aware, statutory wage fixing bodies, as in this country, are not bound by specific criteria, except in Kenya. The same is true of wage rates determined by collective bargaining.
§ Mr. SwinglerThe hon. Gentleman says that they are no doubt taken into account, but would he make a survey to get detailed information in order to find out exactly to what extent they are taken into account? Is it not a fact that in these 918 Colonial Territories family responsibilities are assessed in fixing minimum wage rates? To what extent are any other responsibilities—for example, provision of family allowances—taken into account to enable the families to be kept together?
§ Mr. ProfumoI think that that raises a very much wider question. I will be glad to answer the hon. Gentleman on that, but 1 would be glad if he would put such questions on the Order Paper.