§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the criteria which led him to exercise his discretion to overrule the Pay Board in the cases of Shetland cargo services' employees and Hull freezer trawler employees; and what plans he has to submit his decisions in these cases to scrutiny by Parliament.
§ Mr. BoothThe case of the Shetland firm is under consideration.
The consent to improve pay for crews of freezer trawlers based on Hull and 570W Grimsby is related to the disparity which had arisen in their wages compared to those paid to crews of fresh fish trawlers which had resulted in freezer trawlers not being manned. In consequence there was a risk that supplies of fish would be reduced to the extent that prices would rise.
In giving a consent my right hon. Friend is required to publish particulars in the Gazette and in a newspaper in circulation in the area affected by the consent. This has been done and he has no plans to change this procedure as the Government have announced their intention to ablish statutory pay controls.