§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give, for each year since 1979, the number of permits current, the number of permits issued and the number of permits cancelled by wages councils under section 16(1) of the Wages Councils Act 1979 entitling employers to pay less than the statutory minimum remuneration.
§ Mr. GummerThe secretary of the wages councils has provided the following information:
Permits issued by all Wages Councils 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 New permits issued during the year 22 27 7 14 8 Permits cancelled during the year 27 26 26 27 17 Permits current at 31 December 118 119 100 87 78
§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give for 1983, or for the latest year for which figures are available, the average percentage of the statutory minimum remuneration allowed to permit holders by the Licensed Residential Establishments Wages Council.
§ Mr. GummerI understand from the secretary of the Licensed Residential Establishment Wages Council that for 1983 the average wage which employers were required to pay workers for whom a permit had been issued under section 16 of the Wages Council Act 1979 was around 83 per cent. of the statutory minimum rate.