§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list for each jobcentre in the Doncaster area, for the latest date she has available, the number of current accepted vacanies from employers where the wages offered fall below the relevant wages council minimum; and what percentage this is of the total number of vacancies on offer at each jobcentre.
§ Mr. McLoughlinResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated November 1992:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question about the number of current vacancies accepted by Jobcentres in the Doncaster area where the wages offered fall below the relevant Wages Council minimum and what percentage this is of the total number of vacancies on offer at each Jobcentre. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
757WThere are no vacancies at Doncaster or Thorne Jobcentres which fall below Wages Council minumum rates. Jobcentres have comprehensive instructions giving guidance to staff on the action to be taken when a vacancy covered by a Wages Council Order is notified. If the employer is unwilling to pay the Wages Council minimum then my people are instructed not to accept the vacancy and to refer the case to the Department of Employment Wages Inspectorate.
I hope this is helpful.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.