§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Northampton North Official Report, 19 July, c. 92, what evidence he has that in some areas the rate burden is sufficiently high to affect firms' decisions on locations.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonEvidence on the effects on firms' location decisions of the rate burden is available from two main channels. First, individual firms report their difficulties to hon. Members or Ministers. Such representations indicate that in particular instances rates affect decisions. Second, surveys of business men show the widespread impact of high rates. For example, the July 1983 edition of theMunicipal Journal reports that 41.9 per cent. of London-based respondents said rates were a 456W relate only to inspections by visit. They cannot be taken as representative of wages council trades as a whole in the west midlands as the wages inspectorate tends to concentrate on establishments where underpayments are more likely to be found.
In 1982 the number of workers who waived their rights to payment of arrears was 69. I regret that figures for earlier years are not available.
decisive factor in determining where new plant is to be situated. This survey was conducted by the London chamber of commerce and industry.