§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what action is taken by job centres to ensure that jobs in wages council industries which the job centres advertise are not at rates below wages council minima.
§ Mr. John FraserI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that current instructions to all employment offices—which term includes job centres—stipulate that where a vacancy, in an industry in which a wages council operates, is notified the Wages Inspectorate is to be consulted if the wage offered is thought to be below the minimum required by wage regulation order.
To enable staff to identify any such vacancies all employment offices are 204W furnished with copies of the Department of Employment publication "Time Rates of Wages and Hours of Work" which quotes wage rates determined by wage regulation order. This document is published annually and changes in wage rates are notified in the Department of Employment Gazette, published monthly, which is also furnished to all employment offices.