§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the main reasons for not prosecuting the 4,443 establishments which underpaid employees in 1987.
§ Mr. NichollsFour of the establishments were prosecuted for underpaying workers and four for failing to produce adequate records. Prosecution action was not considered appropriate in the other cases mainly because it is not the practice of the wages inspectorate to prosecute employers unless the offence is deliberate or repeated and the evidence considered adequate. The willingness of workers to give evidence in court if required is also a factor in deciding whether or not prosecution action is396W appropriate. In most cases underpayment is immediately put right and the inspectorate will take this into account when considering whether prosecution will serve any useful purpose.