§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures his Department is taking to ensure that its contractors and suppliers(a) pay their employees a wage which ensures such employees do not need supplementary welfare payments via various state benefits and (b) meet workplace health and safety regulations; and if he will make a statement. [21465]
§ Sir John WheelerThe conditions of contract used by the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office to contract for goods and services specifically require contractors and suppliers to comply with all statutory obligations which may affect the execution of the contract.
439WThe statutory obligations include those relating to health and safety. In the conditions of contract, contractors' attention is drawn specifically to article 4 of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978—general duties of employers to their employees—and they require contractors to prepare a written policy statement on health and safety, together with the arrangements for carrying out that policy.
The conditions of contract do not contain any terms in relation to the wages paid by contractors or suppliers. Contracting Departments do not concern themselves with the rates of pay of contractors' employees other than to assist in the tender process of evaluating the quality of service on offer where that service is labour intensive.