§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that all those workers in Knowsley covered by wages councils are aware of their legal entitlements.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyA copy of the appropriate wages order is sent to all employers known to employ workers covered by wages councils. Employers are required by law to display the wages order where it can be seen by their workers. These arrangements have applied since the inception of wages council legislation and are considered adequate.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) firms and (b) workers in the area of the metropolitan borough of Knowsley are covered by wage councils.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyStatistics for the number of establishments covered by wages councils are not collected for areas smaller than Wages Inspectorate divisions. National estimates only are made for the number of workers covered by wages councils.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many wage council establishments in Knowsley were found to be underpaying in the last year; how many workers were involved; and what was the amount of arrears paid and the number of prosecutions.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyStatistics are not collected for geographical areas smaller than Wages Inspectorate divisions. In 1983, 865 establishments inspected in the north west (west) division of the Wages Inspectorate were found to have underpaid 1,945 workers. Arrears totalling £138,860 were paid. No employers in Knowsley were prosecuted last year for offences under the Wages Councils Act 1979.