§ Mr. Ernie Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to call a meeting of the advisory committee on Homeworking; and if he will extend the terms of reference of the committee to include trades not covered by wages councils.
§ Mr. Jim Lester,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 75], gave the following answer:
The Government are considering whether any special action is appropriate in regard to homeworking and the continuation and extent of the committee's work will be part of this consideration; in this connection I shall be replying to a recent letter from the general secretary of the TUC and I shall be seeing the hon. Member for Bury and Radcliffe (Mr. White) and others on 17 July.
The terms of reference of the committee do not exclude homeworkers in non-wages council trades.
§ Mr. Ernie Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to reintroduce the Homeworkers (Protection) Bill 1978.
§ Mr. Jim Lester,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 75], gave the following answer:
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MACCLESFIELD EMPLOYMENT OFFICE AREA Industry group 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Agriculture, forestry, fishing … … … 6 13 10 19 24 15 Mining and quarrying … … … 3 3 4 2 3 2 Food, drink and tobacco … … … 3 1 5 8 7 3 Coal and petroleum products … … … — — — 1 1 — Chemicals and allied industries … … … 15 21 28 35 57 35 Metal manufacture … … … 1 6 4 5 3 6 Mechanical engineering … … … 23 78 74 63 82 47 Instrument engineering … … … — — — — 2 1 Electrical engineering … … … 5 9 13 15 17 4 Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … — — — — 1 2 Vehicles … … … 1 2 5 6 5 9 Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 9 20 18 23 20 5 Textiles … … … 41 142 147 97 102 92 Leather, leather goods and fur … … — 1 1 — 2 3 Clothing and footwear … … … 8 15 21 22 42 31 Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc. … … 4 6 8 5 7 4 Timber, furniture, etc. … … … 3 7 4 11 9 3 Not at the present time. We shall keep the matter under review.
§ Mr. Ernie Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many home visits were made by wages inspectorate official to homeworkers during the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will take steps to give wages inspectors authority to inspect the conditions of work of homeworkers, other than by invitation.
§ Mr. Jim Lester,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 9 July 1979; Vol. 970, c. 75], gave the following answer:
During 1978 wages inspectors checked the earnings of 2,146 homeworkers; many of these were visited but records of the precise numbers were not kept. Records kept since September 1978, however, show that in the six-month period ending 31 March 1979, 689 visits were made to homeworkers. My right hon. Friend has no intention of extending wages inspectors' right of entry into private homes.