§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the Minister of State's supplementary reply to the hon. Member for Melton, Official Report, 2nd May, column 5, how many civil servants are currently monitoring stage 3 pay deals; how many settlements have so far been examined; how many have been (a) proved satisfactory and (b) unsatisfactory; and what action has been taken subsequently in the latter cases.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerApart from the public sector, which is primarily the responsibility of the sponsoring Departments, my Department currently employs 80 staff on dealing with inquiries and advising employers as well as monitoring settlements. Over 6 million employees are known to have been covered by major settlements, and well over 95 per cent. settled within the guidelines. If a settlement is found to exceed the guidelines, my Department holds discussions to persuade both parties to renegotiate the settlement, and this usually proves successful.