HC Deb 21 March 1989 vol 149 cc557-8W
Mr. Rowe

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now give details of the responses to the 1988 consultation document on wages councils; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Cope

Counting replies, there were 394 responses to the consultation document on wages councils. The positions of respondents were as follows:

For abolition Against abolition Inconclusive
Organisations
Employer organisations with seats on Wages Councils 23(a) 20 3
Other employer organisations 14(b) 6 2
Worker organisation with seats on Wages Councils — 9 —
Other worker organisations — 26 1
Other organisations 3 130 —
For abolition Against abolition Inconclusive
Individuals (d)
Individual employers on Wages Council industries 36(c) 12 —
Individual workers in Wages Council industries — 7 —
Other individuals 4 98 —

The replies from employer organisations with seats on wages councils show a marked change of view since the 1985 consultations, when the majority wanted the system retained. In each of the six largest wages councils, which embrace 94 per cent. of workers covered by the system, a majority of the employer bodies represented want the councils abolished. Replies from both organisations and individuals raise a number of important points which my right hon. Friend intends to consider in detail before making a final decision on the councils' future later this year.

  1. (a) Includes two respondents who support abolition in the absence of other preferred changes.
  2. (b) Includes three respondents who support abolition in the absence of other preferred changes.
  3. (c) Includes seven respondents who support abolition in the absence of other preferred changes.
  4. (d) Replies with more than one signatory counted as single responses.