HL Deb 26 November 1981 vol 425 cc920-1WA
Lord Boyd-Carpenter

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will circulate in the Official Report a full list of wages councils still in operation; and whether they will indicate in which industries or occupations earnings would be likely to be at an unduly low level if legally enforceable minimum wages were not imposed by wages councils.

Earl Ferrers

A list of the 27 wages councils operating under the Wages Councils Act 1979 is given below.

Councils are retained only in trades and industries where there is no other adequate machinery for settling wages and pay is low. Pay in wages councils trades and industries is low relative to the national average. While it is not possible to say how pay in any particular wages council trade might change if alternative machinery did not exist and statutory protection were removed, such action could carry the risk of unacceptable levels of pay for some workers. Where alternative machinery develops, the Government are ready to consider the removal of statutory protection and 16 councils have been abolished since 1969.

List of Wages Councils:

(Unless their title indicates otherwise, all councils cover the whole of Great Britain).

  • Aerated Waters Wages Council (England and Wales),
  • Aerated Waters Wages Council (Scotland),
  • Boot and Shoe Repairing Wages Council,
  • Button Manufacturing Wages Council,
  • Clothing Manufacturing Wages Council,
  • Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making Wages Council,
  • Cotton Waste Reclamation Wages Council,
  • Flax and Hemp Wages Council,
  • Fur Wages Council,
  • General Waste Material Reclamation Wages Council,
  • Hairdressing Undertakings Wages Council,
  • Hat, Cap and Millinery Wages Council,
  • Lace Finishing Wages Council,
  • Laundry Wages Council,
  • Licensed Non-residential Establishment Wages Council,
  • Licensed Residential Establishment and Licensed Restaurant Wages Council,
  • Linen and Cotton Handkerchief and Household Goods and Linen Piece Goods Wages Council,
  • Made-up Textiles Wages Council,
  • Ostrich and Fancy Feather and Artificial Flower Wages Council,
  • Perambulator and Invalid Carriage Wages Council,
  • Retail Bespoke Tailoring Wages Council,
  • Retail Food and Allied Trades Wages Council,
  • Retail Trades (Non-Food) Wages Council,
  • Rope, Twine and Net Wages Council,
  • Sack and Bag Wages Council,
  • Toy manufacturing Wages Council,
  • Unlicensed Place of Refreshment Wages Council.