§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how the Wages Inspectorate ensures that the level of guaranteed earnings is paid in the hotel and catering industry as covered by wages council;
(2) if he is satisfied that employers in the hotel and catering industry are complying with the minimum wage guarantee levels in wages councils orders; and how many checks are made to ensure this:
(3) if the Wages Inspectorate has any records of how many employers in the hotel and catering industry have written agreements about making up the guaranteed minimum earnings made up of the minimum rate and gratuities.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 14 November 1979]: The Inspectorate aims to visit annually one-sixth of all hotel and catering establishments known by my Department to be affected by wages council regulations. Where regulations concerning guaranteed earnings are found to have been breached, the employer is required to put the matter right. If a similar breach is found at a second visit, the penal clauses of the Wages Councils Act, 1979 are invoked. While breaches continue to be found I cannot be satisfied that all employers in the industry are complying with the regulations. No records are kept of the number of employers having written agreements about making up gratuities to a minimum level. The Inspectorate has no power to enforce the terms of any such agreement.