§ Mrs. Jegerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits have been issued to Filipino nationals annually over the last three years; what jobs have been specified for them; and whether, in view of the level of unemployment in the United Kingdom, he has considered the necessity of issuing further permits.
§ Mr. John FraserThe numbers of work permits* issued to Filipino nationals annually over the last three years were as follows:
1973 … 2,691 1974 … 991 1975 … 1,986 * The figures include permissions given to Filippino nationals already in Great Britain.
Council Minimum £ Standard week (hours) Operative date Hairdressing undertakings 19.35 40 23rd June 1975 Made-up textiles 21.20* 40 29th January 1975 Retail newsagency, Tobacco and confectionery trades (Scotland) 21.35† 42 7th April 1975 Industrial and staff canteen undertakings 21.50 40 30th July 1975 Dressmaking and women's light clothing (Scotland) 21.90 40 30th June 1975 Unlicensed place of refreshment 21.92 40 23rd June 1975 * £6 earnings supplement is payable from 29th January 1976. † £5.80 earnings supplement agreed from 7th April 1976. Wages councils are expected to comply with the guidelines in the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation". As independent bodies they are free to set increases within these guidelines and of the 19 councils which have settled since July 1975, 14 have done so at the full £6 for all adult workers. The other five councils have settled at £5 or more, with the majority of workers receiving increases close to the £6 limit.
602WThe jobs specified on the work permits issued have been classified in the following groups:
1973 1974 1975 Domestic and hospital work 1,524 7 723 Hotels and catering 799 933 907 Nursing 294 18 325 Entertainments 44 5 9 Others 30 28 22 Totals 2,691 991 1,986 Work permits are issued to Filipino nationals on the same basis as for other foreigners, and it remains a basic condition for the issue of a permit that my Department must be satisfied that no suitable worker can be found in this country for any job offered to an overseas worker.