§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the companies submitting full reports for the period ending June 1984 on the European Economic Community code of conduct, for companies with dealings with South Africa used, in responding to section 3 of the code, the supplementary living level 408W figures rather than the minimum living level plus 50 per cent.; and if Her Majesty's Government ask any further questions of such companies.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 276]: 112 companies used supplemented living level figures, 20 used minimum living level plus 50 per cent. and five reports did not specify which figures were used. The Department uses the relevant supplemented living level figures for a family of five in analysing companies' reports without further reference to the companies.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the companies submitting full reports for the period ending June 1984 used, in responding to section 3 of the code, the supplementary living level of minimum living level plus 50 per cent. for families of size five in areas where the average family size is shown in the supplementary living level/minimum living level studies to be higher; and if Her Majesty's Government ask any further questions of such companies.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 276]: The information requested is not available. Published data on the supplementary living levels and the minimum living levels for different localities in South Africa do not provide information on the average family size in each locality, but other studies indicate the average black African family size is between five and six persons.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the companies submitting full reports for the period ending June 1984, in responding to section 3 of the code, compare their minimum wage levels with poverty levels other than the household subsistence level/household effective level or supplementary living level/minimum living level for families of five or six people; and if Her Majesty's Government ask any further questions of such companies.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 277]: None. 1.32 companies quoted the datum levels mentioned, but five omitted to specify the datum level used. The Department in any case analysed all reports by reference to the correct datum levels for a family of five in the relevant locations, without further reference to companies.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies submitting full reports for the period ending June 1984 on the European code of conduct for companies with dealings with South Africa quote, in responding to section 3 of the code, separate levels for men and women and compare the two with different poverty levels; and if Her Majesty's Government ask any further questions of such companies.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 277]: Separate information on wage datum levels for men and women is not produced in South Africa, and the code of conduct makes no provision for such a distinction.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the companies submitting full reports for the period ending June 1984 do not give figures for their total work force of all races as called for in the reporting format; and if Her Majesty's Government ask any further questions of such companies.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 277]: 17 companies did not report the 409W numbers of workers of all races. Companies were questioned further if their reports did not provide adequate information in respect of their black African workers.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the companies submitting full reports for the period ending June 1984 make it clear in the annual reports that their response to the code is available from the company; and what procedure is followed with those that do not.
§ Mr. Channon[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1985, c. 277]: 77 companies mentioned that information about their response to the code was available from the company, and at least 11 more companies made reference to the code in their annual reports. Companies are reminded from time to time of the Government's policy to encourage companies to comply fully with the code.