§ 47. Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how he intends to improve the work of the wages councils.
§ Mr. NichollsThe councils are empowered to set minimum rates of pay in certain industries. Checks by wages inspectors show that compliance with wages councils orders is running at a very high level.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions for contravention of wages councils legislation there were in(a) the last three months, (b) the last six months and (c) the last 12 months.
§ Mr. NichollsThe number of prosecutions was as follows:
- (a) Four from 1 January 1990 to 31 March 1990
- (b) Six from 1 October 1989 to 31 March 1990
- (c) 13 from 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the establishments prosecuted for contravention of wages councils legislation under the Wages Act 1986 in 1989 together with(a) the number of charges levelled in each case and the charges on which they were prosecuted and (b) the number of employees underpaid in each prosecution for underpayment.
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Table 1—Establishments found failing to post wages council notices—1989 Wages Councils London South East Eastern South West Midlands North West Yorkshire and Humberside North Scotland Great Britain Aerated Waters — — — — — 2 — — — 2 Clothing Manufacture 68 3 2 8 31 53 7 9 4 185 Boot and Shoe Repairing 8 7 2 6 1 1 2 1 1 29 Button Manufacturing — — — — — — — 1 — 1 Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making — — — — — — — — — — Cotton Waste Reclamation — — — — — — — — — — Flax and Hemp — — — — — — — — — — Fur 1 — — — — 3 — — — 4 General Waste Materials Reclamation 1 1 2 4 1 — 1 — — 10 Hairdressing Undertakings 32 41 71 72 47 90 69 47 47 516 Hat Cap and Millinery 1 — — — — — 1 — — 2 Lace Finishing — — — — — — — — — — Laundry 2 4 — 7 3 4 — 2 11 34 Linen and Cotton — — — — — — — — — — Handkerchief — — — — — 6 — — — 6 Made-up Textile — 1 2 — 2 — — — 2 7 Ostrich and Fancy Feather — — — — — — — — — — Perambulator and Invalid — — — — — — — — — — Carriage — — — — — — — — — — Retail Bespoke Tailoring — — — 3 — 4 3 1 — 11 Rope Twine and Net — — — — — — — — 1 1 Sack and Bag — — — 1 — — — — — 1 Toy Manufacturing — — — — — 1 — 1 — 2 Retail Non-Food Trades 35 172 154 299 265 346 193 93 177 1,734 Retail Food and Allied Trades 65 353 313 436 462 794 387 238 289 3,337 Licensed Non-Residential 21 145 170 205 187 183 73 110 147 1,241 Licensed Residential and Restaurant 39 112 94 185 91 111 45 63 121 861
§ Mr. NichollsThe information is as follows:
Number of charges Charges prosecuted Number of employees underpaid Maurices Discount, Nottingham 1 1 1 Bishops of Swanage, Swanage 1 1 1 Ron Whites Fruit Basket, Southampton 2 2 1 Johns, South Ockenden 1 1 0 Kingfisher, Hull 5 5 5 Bhatias, Rochester 5 4 2 Record Stores, Rochester 13 9 2 Gosport RN Association Limited, Gosport 3 3 3 Grahams Transport Stop, Bridgewater 2 2 2 Franklins of Saltburn 3 3 3
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a breakdown(a) by wages inspectorate division and (b) by wages councils, of establishments checked, and those found to be contravening wages council legislation in 1989, and the number of prosecutions under specific sections of the Wages Act 1986.
§ Mr. NichollsI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) on 29 March 1990,Official Report, columns 251–56, tables 2 and 4, which gives the numbers of establishments checked and those found to be paying less than the statutory minimum in 1989.
The remainder of the information requested is given in the following tables:
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Wages Councils London South East Eastern South West Midlands North West Yorkshire and Humberside North Scotland Great Britain Unlicensed Place of Refreshment 31 71 52 128 55 88 76 27 87 615 Total 304 910 863 1,354 1,145 1,686 857 593 887 8,599
Table 2—Establishments found failing to keep adequate records of wages paid—1989 Wages Councils London S. East Eastern S.West Midlands N.West Yorks and H'side North Scotland Great Britain Aerated Waters — — — — — — — — — — Clothing Manufacture 3 1 — — 4 — 1 — 2 11 Boot and Shoe — — — — — — — — — Repairing — — — 1 — — — — — 1 Button Manufacturing — — — — — — — — — — Coffin Furniture and — — — — — — — — — — Cerement Making — — — — — — — — — — Cotton Waste — — — — — — — — — — Reclamation — — — — — — — — — — Flax and Hemp — — — — — — — — — — Fur — — — — — — — — — — General Waste Materials Reclamation — — — — — — — — — — Hairdressing — — — — — — — — — Undertakings 5 12 6 4 5 10 9 6 3 60 Hat Cap and Millinery — — — — — — — — — — Lace Finishing — — — — — — — — — — Laundry — 1 — — — — — — 2 3 Linen and Cotton — — — — — — — — — — Handkerchief — — — — — — — — — — Made-up Textile — — 1 — — — — — — 1 Ostrich and Fancy — — — — — — — — — — Feather — — — — — — — — — — Perambulator and — — — — — — — — — — Invalid Carriage — — — — — — — — — — Retail and Bespoke — — — — — — — — — — Tailoring — — — — — — — — — — Rope Twine and Net — — — — — — — — — — Sack and Bag — — — — — — — — — — Toy Manufacturing — — — — — — — — — — Retail Non-Food — — — — — — — — — — Trades — 47 35 26 27 51 31 16 31 264 Retail Food and Allied Trades 5 129 96 71 93 203 103 75 82 857 Licensed Non- Residential 4 60 49 22 34 39 17 20 18 263 Licensed Residential and Restaurant 1 30 9 16 5 13 11 6 25 116 Unlicensed PI of Refreshment — 21 11 15 7 20 12 4 33 123 Total 18 301 207 155 175 336 184 127 196 1,699
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Table 3—establishments found failing to keep adequate records of hows worked—1989 Wages Councils London South East Eastern South West Midlands North West Yorks and H'side North Scotland GB Aerated Waters — — — — — 1 — — — 1 Clothing Manufacture 10 5 — 3 18 26 4 2 3 71 Boot and Shoe Repairing 5 6 2 3 2 2 2 2 4 28 Button Manufacturing — — — — — — — — — — Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making — — — — — — — — — — Cotton Waste Reclamation — — — — — — — — — — Flax and Hemp — — — — — — — — — — Fur — — — — — — — — — — General Waste Materials Reclamation 1 2 2 — — 1 — — 1 7 Hairdressing Undertakings 9 83 102 62 35 56 59 53 62 521 Hat Cap and Millinery 1 — — — — — — 1 — 2
Wages Councils London South East Eastern South West Midlands North West Yorks and H'side North Scotland GB Lace Finishing — — — — — — — — — — Laundry — 2 1 1 1 2 — 2 7 16 Linen and Cotton Handkerchief — — — — — — — — — — Made-up Textile — 3 1 — 1 — — — — 5 Ostrich and Fancy Feather — — — — — — — — — — Perambulator and Invalid Carriage — — — — — — — — — — Retail Bespoke Tailoring — 2 1 — — — — 1 1 5 Rope Twine and Net — — — — — — — — — — Sack and Bag 1 — — — — — — — — 1 Toy Manufacturing — 1 — — — 1 — — — 2 Retail Non-Food Trades 5 209 201 199 150 216 130 84 163 1,357 Retail Food and Allied Trades 28 417 370 284 242 602 267 186 261 2,657 Licensed Non-Residential 16 225 198 157 147 161 72 91 134 1,201 Licensed Residential and Restaurant 24 123 93 126 55 87 34 46 111 699 Unlicensed Place of Refreshment 11 63 38 76 24 56 41 19 69 397 Total 111 1,141 1,009 911 675 1,211 609 487 816 6,970
Table 4—Analysis of criminal prosecutions in 1989 under the Wages Act 1986 Division Number of cases Wages Council Section of the Act under which prosecution taken South East 2 Retail Food Section 16 (Underpayment) 1 Retail Food Section 16 and Section 21 (Producing false records) 1 Licensed non-residential Section 16 Eastern 1 Retail food Section 21 (Failing to produce records) South West 1 Retail non-food Section 16 1 Unlicensed Place of refreshment Section 16 Midlands 1 Retail food Section 16 Yorkshire and Humberside 1 Retail food Section 16 Northern 1 Retail non-food Section 16
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide breakdowns by wages inspectorate division of information given in theOfficial Report, 1 March 1989, columns 199–201, regarding the establishments underpaying and prosecutions for underpayment of wages councils rates; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) on 2 April 1990,Official Report columns 460–62.