§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that the policy of the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services with regard to privatisation will not lead to an exacerbation of the problem of low wages in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Chris PattenI have no reason to believe that the present policy with regard to privatisation or contracting out will lead to any exacerbation of the problem of low wages in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will require that the health and social services boards, when seeking tenders for ancillary services, will offer to their employees levels of wages, terms and conditions of at least the same standard as currently applies to ancillary workers in the National Health Service.
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§ Mr. Chris PattenNo. Such a requirement would not be compatible with the well established principle that pay and conditions of employment should in general be freely determined by a commercial firm, its employees and staff representatives, in the light of its own particular circumstances.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what safeguards the Government in Northern Ireland are taking to ensure that their own employment practices, whether directly or by contract, do not contribute to the problem of low wages.
§ Mr. ButlerThe pay of all civil servants, both non-industrial and industrial is negotiated with the appropriate trade unions and no civil servant is paid below these agreed rates. So far as Government contracts are concerned, the Government regard rates of pay as a matter for determination by employers and employees.