HC Deb 23 June 1988 vol 135 c663W
Ms. Fyfe

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total of underpayment of wages in 1987 detected by the inspectorate in the 4,443 establishments which were not prosecuted that year.

Mr. Nicholls

In 1987 arrears of pay assessed as due to workers employed by 4,443 establishments found to be underpaying totalled £1,252,034.

Earlier replies to the hon. Member on 13 May at column 286, and 27 May at column 396 may not have made it clear that (a) the number of establishments prosecuted is included in statistics of establishments found to be underpaying and (b) the two sets of figures cannot be directly related. Prosecutions brought in 1987, for example, do not necessarily relate to establishments found to be underpaying in that year.