§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy towards prosecution' of employers found to be paying below the minimum rates of pay set by wages councils.
§ Mr. WaddingtonMy right hon. Friend has made no changes to the established procedures of the Wages Inspectorate for dealing with prosecutions. Inspectors may institute proceedings for any offence under the Wages Councils Act. Prosecution would not be considered without clear evidence of a deliberate or repeated offence and the decision whether or not to prosecute would depend in each case on the nature and circumstances of the offence.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total amount recovered in underpaid wages by wages inspectors during 1979.
§ Mr. WaddingtonDuring 1979, £1,526,568 was recovered by wages inspectors in underpaid wages, including holiday pay.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in 1979 were found to be paying below the legal minima specified by wages councils; and how many of these were prosecuted.
§ Mr. WaddingtonUnderpayment of wages, including holiday pay, was found at 10,969 establishments during 1979. Prosecution action was taken in 12 cases, and in addition civil proceedings were taken in six cases for recovery of arrears.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many civil servants currently are employed in the Wages Inspectorate, and how many of these are outdoor inspectors.
§ Mr. WaddingtonAt 31 December 1980, 270 civil servants were employed in the Wages Inspectorate, of whom 148 were outdoor inspectors.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the total amount by which employees in wages council industries were underpaid during the year 1979, based on the sample of firms inspected by the Wages Inspectorate in that year.
§ Mr. WaddingtonIt is not possible to make a valid estimate of the total extent of underpayment from the sample of firms inspected; these are not representative since inspections tend to be most concerned with areas where underpayment is most likely to be found.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will, during the International Year of Disabled People, take steps to ensure that private employers fulfil the 3 per cent. employment quota for the registered disabled; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will take steps to prevent discriminatory hiring practices aimed against epileptics; and if he will make a statement;
470W(3) how many disablement resettlement officers were made redundant in the county of Derbyshire in 1980;
(4) if, to mark the International Year of Disabled People, he will seek during the year to restore all public expenditure cuts which have reduced the number of disablement resettlement officers and rehabilitation staff within the Manpower Services Commission; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures illustrating the number of injuries received at work by disabled workers as compared with the national average.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI regret this information is not available.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many rehabilitation staff within the Manpower Services Commission were made redundant in the county of Derbyshire during 1980.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonNone.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment which local authorities throughout Great Britain do not fulfil the 3 per cent. employment quota for the registered disabled.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonTables showing the levels of quota compliance of individual local authorities, and of a range of other public sector employers, were published in the November 1980 issue of theEmployment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will, during the International Year of Disabled People, take steps to publicise widely the diversity and quality of goods produced by Remploy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission (MSC), which is responsible for Remploy Ltd., that the company carries out its own marketing and public relations services, which it has recently reorganised and strengthened. Remploy will be participating in activities organised under the International Year of Disabled People including audio-visual and video tape presentations of company affairs, individual factory events including open days, and support together with other organisations for a wide range of activities, including media coverage, at local, regional and national level. As a result of this participation, it is anticipated that the company and its wide range of products, services and employment opportunities for severely disabled people will be made known to a wider audience.
I see no need for the Government to make further provision in this matter. I should stress the Government's continued support for the work of Remploy Ltd., which curently provides employment for over 8,200 severely disabled people.