§ 26. Mr. Jim MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the likely effect on employment levels of his plans to extend the Wages Act to Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ViggersThe Draft Wages (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 which was laid on 10 December 1987 will introduce reforms similar to those already in place in Great Britain under the Wages Act 1986. Attempts to estimate the effect on employment levels in Northern Ireland of these reforms are unlikely to be productive. However, in my opinion the adverse effects of overregulation on business enterprise, which the order addresses, are such that the provisions of the proposed legislation can only assist employment.