§ 14. Mr. Dickensasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether bonus payments made to employees at the employer's discretion are to be subject to the incomes standstill.
§ Mr. DickensWhile I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him to bear in mind the fact that there is a need for the strictest control by the central government over bonus payments made, not on an individual's performance toward a firm, but upon the profitability of that firm?
§ Mr. AlbuMy hon. Friend is quite right. We have to watch this question of bonus payments very closely indeed. I am glad that he has distinguished between bonus payments which are part of an incentive bonus system, where in operation, and other types of bonus payments.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodCan the Minister of State tell us how he proposes to carry out the terms of the answer which he has given to the House? Is he going to have a vast increase in the army of people who are supposed to give information? How is he going to ensure that such bonus payments which go on are within the standstill?
§ Mr. AlbuAs the right hon. Gentleman knows, the standstill is on a voluntary basis, and so far we have very good evidence that industry is co-operating 1860 with the Government in carrying it out. As my right hon. Friend said yesterday, we hope that this will continue.