§ Mr. BlairTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were covered by wages councils in the northern region in 1981 and 1991; how many were visited by wage council inspectors; how many were found to be paying below wage council rates; and how many were prosecuted.
§ Mr. ForthThe information for the northern region is as follows:
Workplaces covered Workplaces visited Workplaces paying below rate Number of employers prosecuted 1981 21,848 1,281 1na 1 1990 21,529 1,547 455 2 1991 1na 1na 1na 2 1 Not available. The information for 1981 relates to the Wages Councils Act 1979and information for 1990 and 1991 to the Wages Act 1986. Figures are included for 1990 because the full information for 1991 is not yet available.