§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Prime Minister what statutory bases there are for pay fixing, other than wages councils; and what plans there are for their abolition in each case.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) has statutory powers under the Agricultural Wages Act 1948 to set wages for agricultural workers in England and Wales. Separate legislation and boards exist for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wages orders made by the AWB enable the United Kingdom to fulfil two conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and these cannot legally be reviewed until the second half of next year and 1994. Decisions on the future of agricultural wages legislation will be taken when we are able to review our ILO commitments.