§ Mrs. Shirley Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Employment what advice has been given by his Department to industrial arbitration boards and industrial tribunals in disputes involving progress towards equal pay for men and women.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkNone. The Industrial Arbitration Board and the industrial tribunals have no jurisdiction in relation to the Equal Pay Act at present.
§ Mr. Ifor Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take action in accordance with his powers under the Equal Pay Act 1970 to deal with those firms which are refusing to abide by the principles of the Act.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThe Government's decision not to introduce an order under Section 9(2) of the Equal Pay Act has already been announced, but they stand by the requirement to achieve full equal pay by the end of 1975, and my right hon. Friend has recently sent to some 400,000 employers a leaflet setting out the practical steps which firms need to take to achieve this.