HC Deb 11 February 1926 vol 191 cc1283-4W
Mr. W. GRAHAM

asked the Minister of Labour whether representations have been made in favour of the establishment of a trade board for the catering industry in Great Britain; whether any official inquiry has been made into the conditions under which large numbers of workers in this industry are employed; and whether the Government have reached a decision?

Sir A. STEEL-MAITLAND

In replying to this question, it will, I think, be convenient if I deal also with the results of the investigations which have been made into certain other trades, namely, the drapery and allied trades, the meat distributive trades, and the grocery trade, the reports upon which will shortly be available, together with that upon the catering trade. The results of the investigations have been considered in the light of the statement of the Government's policy with regard to trade boards which I made when the Government took office, namely, that they adhere to the principle that the grave evil of sweating must be prevented, and endorse the view that the trade board system is necessary for this purpose, but that in considering the application of the Acts to new trades they would only extend the Acts to trades where it had been clearly ascertained by systematic investigation that sweating conditions prevail, and then only after a public inquiry to examine the facts and to hear objections in any case of doubt.

So far as regards the three new trades (catering, drapery and meat distribution), after considering carefully the results of the investigations, I have decided that in all the circumstances the conditions that exist do not justify at the present time the application of the Acts. So far as regards the grocery trade (to which the Acts already apply) the investigations did not disclose that the conditions differ substantially from those in the other trades now under consideration. In all the circumstances, I have come to the conclusion that statutory minimum rates of wages should not, in present circumstances, be put into operation in the trade.

I need hardly add that the conditions in the trades in question will be kept under review and that the above decisions will be subject to reconsideration if there is a change in circumstances which would warrant it.