HC Deb 02 May 1969 vol 782 cc284-5W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will take steps to prevent the exploitation of women engaged in outwork at home; what investigations have been made by her Department regarding the rates of pay for such work; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Harold Walker

Statutory minima are fixed by wages councils for home-workers who come within their field of activity, and as part of their general enforcement duties wages inspectors examine the records of payments made by employers to such workers. Where necessary, the inspectors visit homeworkers at their homes to obtain additional information. All complaints concerning payment of less than the statutory minima are investigated.

The activities of the wages inspectorate have disclosed little recent evidence of infractions as regards homeworkers, but the statement in Report No. 110 by the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the clothing industry that a sample survey had shown evidence of pay below the minimum rates among homeworkers employed in the hat trade in the Luton area is being investigated. The Board's suggestion that the present arrangements for registering homeworkers should be reviewed is being followed up.

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what steps she intends taking to prevent danger to part-time workers working at home for factories and workshops; if she will seek powers to investigate the financial hardship experienced by such workers in buying equipment on hire purchase for work purposes; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Harold Walker

The Government's proposals for new safety, health and welfare legislation, which were circulated to interested organisations in December, 1967, indicated specifically that premises used only as dwellings and by outworkers living there would be excluded. No evidence is available to suggest that hire purchase of equipment for outwork is causing widespread financial hardship among people working at home. Possible infringements of the Hire Purchase Regulations are matters for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to investigate.