HC Deb 27 July 1983 vol 46 cc454-5W
Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many establishments in the west midlands has been on the wages council lists for each year since 1972;

(2) in how many establishments in the west midlands on wages council lists were arrears of wages or holiday pay paid following inspection in each year since 1972;

(3) how many establishments on the wages council lists in the west midlands have been inspected by visit in each year since 1972;

(4) how many of the workers in the west midlands covered by wages councils had their wages examined by the wages inspectorate in each year since 1972;

(5) what was the number of workers in the west midlands covered by wages councils for whom arrears of wages, including holiday pay, were paid, following investigations by the wages inspectorate; and what were (a) the total amount of arrears paid to those workers and (b) the number of workers who waived their rights to payments of arrears, for each year since 1972.

Mr. Gummer

The following table gives the information requested. The figures for underpayments

Establishments Inspected in West Midlands 1972–82
1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Establishments on register 39,694 38,946 38,135 37,941 34,430 35,674 35,674 32,693 33,341 33,694 32,080
Establishments inspected by visit 3,662 3,904 3,348 2,992 2,643 2,565 2,687 2,556 2,605 1,774 2,405
Establishments at which arrears were paid 550 629 567 660 690 759 716 605 674 598 619
Workers whose pay was examined 19,241 20,786 16,096 14,270 13,235 13,430 13,152 15,327 16,240 9,519 11,538
Workers paid arrears 822 986 868 1,156 1,395 1,541 1,546 1,304 1,372 1,182 1,277
Amount of arrear paid £ 13,039 19,897 19,319 32,412 58,184 88,197 81,447 84,337 108,212 115,060 153,205

Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in the west midlands have been prosecuted under the Wages Council Acts; and of those prosecuted(a) how many were found guilty and (b) what was the total amount of fines imposed, for each year since 1972.

Mr. Gummer

Since 1972 there has been only one prosecution in the west midlands under wages council legislation. The employer was found guilty and fined £90 in 1978.