§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will illustrate the total cost of maintaining the wages council machinery at the latest available date; and if he will break down the cost under the main headings of expenditure.
§ Mr. AlisonThe available information is as follows:
Cost 1981–82 £ Office of Wages Councils: (1) Meetings fees and expenses 102,300 (2) Printing and distribution of wages council orders, etc. 411,800 (3) Secretariat 246,000 Wages inspectorate 3,323,000 In addition, there are some other related general administrative costs which fall on the Departmental Vote that cannot be separately identified.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list changes to the wages council system since 1979; and whether the changes involve (a) an amalgamation or (b) an abolition; and if he will state the number of (i) male and (ii) female workers affected.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information is as follows:
- (1) The Pin, Hook and Eye and Snap Fastener Wages Council was abolished in October 1980.
- (2) The Clothing Manufacturing Wages Council (Great Britain) was established in July 1981 by amalgamation of seven separate wages councils.
- (3) The Aerated Waters Wages Council (Great Britain) was established in February 1983 to replace the two separate councils for England and Wales and for Scotland.
The approximate numbers of workers involved in these changes were:
(1) 900; (2) 300,000; (3) 15,000.Information is not available to provide separate estimates for males and females.