HC Deb 27 June 1978 vol 952 cc513-5W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number of homeworkers; and how many of them are covered by wages councils.

Mr. John Grant

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 9th January.—[Vol 941, c.644].

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of homeworkers who are (a) women, (b) disabled and (c) immigrants.

Mr. John Grant

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 9th January.—[Vol. 941, c.645.]

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will recommend to the Health and Safety Executive that all employers of homeworkers who refuse to meet the provisions of the Factories Act should be prosecuted forthwith.

Mr. John Grant

I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that prosecution is not the only sanction which can be used against employers who fail to comply with the Factories Act 1961. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 gives inspectors power to issue prohibition notices, which are effective until the appropriate safeguards have been provided, or improvement notices, which can list the safe- guards required and require compliance within a certain specified time. Failure to comply with a notice is an offence for which employers are liable to be prosecuted.

The chairman adds that outright refusal to comply is extremely rare, and in such cases, if sufficient evidence of non-compliance were available, prosecution would certainly follow. Normally, when an inspector points out details of noncompliance, most employers proceed to rectify the matters and it is therefore not usually necessary to invoke extreme legal sanctions.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will institute a departmental inquiry into piece rates, and wage rates of homeworkers;

(2) if he will mount a major campaign of investigations by wages inspectors on the wages paid to homeworkers;

(3) if he will move to appoint a Select Committee to examine the problems of homeworkers;

(4) if he will have further discussions with the TUC and CBI about the wages and conditions of homeworkers.

Mr. John Grant

I hope to make a statement about homeworking next week.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to seek to bring all homeworkers under the protection of the Redundancy Payments Act 1973, the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 and the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974.

Mr. John Grant

I have nothing further to add at present to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend on 25th January.—[Vol. 942, c.626.]

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will prepare a special scheme for the retraining of homeworkers to enable them to acquire new skills.

Mr. John Grant

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that no special provision for the retraining of homeworkers appears to be necessary since the existing arrangements for help- ing people to acquire new skills are as open to homeworkers as to other workers.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many home-workers are dealing with dangerous substances.

Mr. John Grant

This information cannot be obtained under existing legislation. I am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the intention of new legislative proposals currently being prepared by the Commission is to enable health and safety inspectors to identify those homeworkers at risk from dangerous substances, equipment or processes so that they may check on the adequacy of safety precautions. The Commission also intends to propose that some very dangerous substances should be banned entirely for use by homeworkers.

INDICES OF AVERAGE GROSS HOURLY EARNINGS OF MANUAL WORKERS IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES (EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE STATED)
1948=100
United Kingdom* United States of America France West Germany Japan§§
1948 100 100 100 100 100
1949 103 104 112 114 160
1950 107 109 123 122 195
1951 117 118 158 138|| 250
1952 126 124 183 149|| 289
1953 133 131 188 151|| 327
1954 143 134 199 155|| 348
1955 154 139 214 165|| 357
1956 165 144 231 181|| 392
1957 176 152 249 199 411
1958 182 156 278 212 410
1959 189 162 295 225 444
1960 208 167 316 250 483
1961 220 172 340 276 529
1962 229 177 369 308 582
1963 240 182 401 330 645
1964 258 187 430 356 707
1965 284 193 454 392 771
1966 300 201 481 421 865
1967 313 210 510 438 973
1968 335 223 573 456 1,125
1969 363 236 637 503 1,319
1970 418 249 705 568 1,526
1971 467 264 784 634 1,730
1972 533 282 880 690 1,999
1973 603 302 1,067 765 2,483
1974 724 327 1,269 851 3,128
1975 907 356 1,486 923 3,496
1976 1,011 384 1,681 986 3,920
1977 1,094 417 1,903 1,061 4,678
Source: International Labour Office "Year Book of Labour Statistics".
* October survey, adult males only.
† October survey, hourly wage rates, adults only.
‡Including family allowances paid directly by employers.
§ Monthly earnings of manual and non-manual workers including bonuses and directly paid family allowances.
|| Including building and quarrying.

Forward to