§ 58. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that for many years the Catering Wages Commission has been anxious to have a wages board established covering the unlicensed residential establishments; when he expects to appoint such a board; and whether he will make a statement in the light of the Catering Wages Commission's 13th Annual Report and the reference therein to this subject.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI have noted the views expressed by the Catering Wages Commission, but I have no statement to make at the present time.
§ Mr. LewisIs it not about time that the right hon. Gentleman's Ministry took action in connection with this matter? This has been going on now for about 10 or 12 years—indeed for about 40 or 50 years before that. If the Commission and the trade unions and the independent members on the various wages boards in the other sector of the industry have said that this is long overdue, and no progress is made because of the attitude of the employers, surely the Minister should take some positive action.
§ Mr. MacleodI do not pretend to have a solution to the problem of bringing the small boarding houses within the ambit of the present provisions and nor had any of my predecessors—though it was not for the lack of trying. I suppose it is because of that that appointments to this board lapsed in 1951. In my view, this problem is likely to be solved only as part of a whole review of the wages and catering position.