HC Deb 17 March 1988 vol 129 cc642-3W
Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the distribution between age groups of cases of illegal underpayments.

Mr. Nicholls

I regret that the information requested is not available.

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases of illegal underpayment of workers by their employers there were in each year since 1974.

Mr. Patrick Nicholls

The numbers of workers found to be underpaid under wages council legislation were as follows:

Number
1974 15,368
1975 22,604
1976 24,831
1977 26,920
1978 22,671
1979 22,457
1980 28,373
1981 24,117
1982 20,406
1983 20,832
1984 18,043
1985 16,948
1986 15,533
1987 9,129

Mr. Goodlad

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases of underpayment the wages inspectorate investigated in the north-west division in each of the past five years; how many were the results of complaints by staff; how many were the results of routine spot checks; and what were the outcomes.

Mr. Nicholls

[pursuant to his reply, 15 February 1988, c. 472]: In my earlier reply I undertook to give information for 1987. This is as follows:

Outcome of checks of pay carried out at establishments in north-west division, 1987
Number
Checked by visit (routine) 2,267
Found to be underpaying 254
Checked by visit (complaint) 440
Found to be underpaying 287