§ Mr. Harry BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the east midlands.
§ Mr. NichollsWages inspectorate statistics are not compiled for areas smaller than the inspectorate's nine divisions. In the midlands division in 1988, 103 workplaces were visited for advisory purposes and 2,609 were visited for the purpose of checking pay. A total of 747 were found to have underpaid one or more worker. However, this cannot be taken as representing the general level of non-compliance with wages council orders because the wages inspectorate target checks by visit on those workplaces thought more likely to underpay workers.