§ Ms. Clare Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment what action has been taken by his Department and by the Manpower Services Commission following last year's report, a copy of which has been sent to him, by west midlands low pay unit about rates of pay below the legal minimum set by wages councils being advertised in jobcentres in the area.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInstructions issued to jobcentres make it clear that vacancies should not be displayed where it appears that a wages order is likely to be violated and that jobcentre staff should notify the wages inspectorate of any vacancies which offered wages at below the wages council minima.
To reinforce these instructions revised guidance was issued in the early part of this year. In addition, in order to help jobcentre staff identify vacancies where the wage offered falls below the legal minimum, they receive regularly updated information on the minimum rates applying to the majority of workers in the main wages council trades.