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Mr. Nicholls : The restrictions of the dock labour scheme have contributed to the decline in business and jobs in the port of London and in other ports covered by the scheme.
Non-oil cargo passing through the port of London area declined by 9 per cent. between 1970-1987, from 30.4
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million tonnes to 27.7 million tonnes. The number of registered dock workers declined from 16,573 in 1970 to 1,739 in May 1989.85. Mr. David Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the past operation of the dock labour scheme in Hull, Goole and Grimsby.
Mr. Nicholls : The restrictions of the dock labour scheme have contributed to the declining share of business and jobs in the ports of Hull, Goole and Grimsby.
The growth in trade handled by ports on the south and east coasts outside the dock labour scheme has been far greater than in the scheme ports, including Hull, Goole and Grimsby.
The number of registered dock workers in Hull, Goole and Grimsby fell from 4,470 in 1970 to 1,563 on 2 May 1989.
82. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers employed in dock labour scheme ports are aged 25-35 years, 35- 45 years and over 45 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : The 1987 National Dock Labour Board annual report, the most recent available, provides the following information on the numbers of registered dock workers in each age group.
Age group |Number of workers ------------------------------------------------------ 25-35 |693 35-45 |3,200 Over 45 |6,408
79. Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the past operation of the dock labour scheme in Liverpool.
Mr. Nicholls : The restrictions of the dock labour scheme have contributed to the decline of business and jobs in the port of Liverpool and in other ports covered by the scheme.
Non-oil cargo passing through the port of Liverpool (including Garston) decreased from 16,464 tonnes in 1970 to 8,886 in 1987 : a fall of 46 per cent. In the same period Heysham, a non-scheme, west coast port increased its traffic by over 300 per cent. The numbers of registered dock workers employed in Liverpool and Birkenhead has fallen from 10,449 in 1970 to 1,244 in April 1989.
67. Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers were employed in dock labour scheme ports and in non-dock labour scheme ports in (a) 1959 and (b) 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
89. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers were employed in dock labour scheme ports and non-dock labour scheme ports in 1959 and 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : According to national dock labour board returns employment of registered dock workers in dock labour scheme ports declined from 71,846 in 1959 to 9,319 in May 1989. Figures for non-scheme ports over the same period are not available, but between 1983 and 1987 employment of dock workers in those ports rose by 10 per cent. to 3,900. A quarter of all dock workers are therefore now employed in non-scheme ports.
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57. Mr. Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the past operation of the dock labour scheme in Southampton.
Mr. Nicholls : The restrictions of the dock labour scheme have contributed to the declining share of business and jobs in the port of Southampton.
The growth in trade handled by ports on the south and east coasts outside the dock labour scheme has been far greater than for scheme ports such as Southampton.
The number of registered dock workers in Southampton has dropped by 66 per cent., from 1,944 in 1970 to 681 in April 1989.
58. Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the past operation of the dock labour scheme.
Mr. Nicholls : Since 1970, the number of registered dock workers has declined from 45,542 to 9,310--a drop of 79 per cent. Between 1967 and 1987, the share of the United Kingdom market held by non-scheme ports increased from 10 per cent. to nearly 30 per cent. of a smaller total tonnage.
The dock labour scheme has contributed to the declining share of business and jobs in the ports in which it operates.
59. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to discuss the reintroduction of casual labour into dock labour scheme ports with the National Association of Port Employers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : Arrangements following the abolition of the Dock Labour Scheme are a matter for employers and dock workers in the ports concerned, as is already the case for other workers in those ports and dock workers in ports outside the scheme. My right hon. Friend has no plans to enter into discussions with those concerned. Employers of 93 per cent. of dock workers in scheme ports have given assurances not to return to a system of casual work. I understand that they have indicated a willingness to examine this and other issues on a port by port basis.
60. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations has he received on his White Paper, "Employment in the Ports, the Dock Labour Scheme" ; and if he will make a statement.
53. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received on his plans to abolish the dock labour scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : I have received a number of such representations. The abolition of the dock labour scheme will lead to increased investment and employment opportunities in British ports and ports areas, and has been welcomed by all sectors of industry.
95. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the past operation of the dock labour scheme in Immingham and Grimsby.
Mr. Nicholls : The restrictions of the dock labour scheme have contributed to the declining share of business and jobs in the port of Grimsby and Immingham.
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The growth in trade handled by ports on the south and east coasts outside the dock labour scheme has been far greater than for scheme ports such as Grimsby and Immingham. The number of registered dock workers in Grimsby and Immingham fell from 1,344 in 1970 to 684 in May 1989.Removing Barriers to Employment"
49. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received in response to his Green Paper, "Removing Barriers to Employment".
Mr. Nicholls : Our Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment" was published on 20 March and the closing date for comments is 20 June. We are, therefore, in the early stages of the consultation period. To date, six representations have been received.
Minimum Wage
50. Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Government will implement the Council of Europe's decency threshold of an hourly rate of £3.80 as a minimum wage.
Mr. Nicholls : No. there is no such thing as a Council of Europe decency threshold for a minimum acceptable level of earnings.
70. Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he intends to introduce a statutory minimum wage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : No. A national minimum wage would raise employers' costs and destroy jobs, including the jobs of those whom it was designed to help.
Work Force
54. Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the anticipated changes in the make-up of the work force by age and sex over the next 10 years.
Mr. Lee : My Department's latest projections of the civilian labour force show a number of significant changes between now and the end of the century. In particular, it is expected that the share of young people in the labour force will decline markedly and the share of women will rise. These projections were published in the April 1989 edition of Employment Gazette , a copy of which is in the Library.
TUC
62. Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, if he has any plans to meet the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress to discuss industrial relations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend meets the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress from time to time to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Training Schemes
63. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people who would otherwise have been on the unemployment register have been on Government training schemes since 1979.
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Mr. Lee : No such estimates are available.
Picketing
64. Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to convert the current law on picketing to a voluntary code as recommended by the Trades Union Congress ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : The Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment", published on 20 March, states that the Government propose no change to the law on picketing.
93. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress to discuss picketing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has no current plans for such a meeting.
West Midlands (Engineering Apprentices)
66. Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number of engineering apprenticeships in the west midlands, expressed as a percentage of the numbers available in 1979.
Mr. Cope : Currently in the midlands there are 54 per cent. of the number of apprentices registered with the engineering industry training board in 1979. It is not known how many engineering apprentices there are outside the board's registration system.
Wages Act 1986
71. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what assessment he has made of the effects of the Wages Act 1986 on young workers' pay (a) by region and (b) nationally.
Mr. Nicholls : The removal of wages council minima has enabled employers to offer, and young people to accept, jobs at rates which would previously have been unlawful, and there is evidence that this has resulted in increased job opportunities for those under 21. It is not possible to measure the effect of this greater flexibility on pay levels, but there has been no general reduction in the earnings of young people in wages council trades. These have continued to increase in real terms.
Skill Training
72. Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on skills training in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Mr. Cope : A skilled work force is essential to the growing economy in Yorkshire and Humberside. The Government recognise this and are playing their part. We are establishing local training and enterprise councils which will put employers in the lead in determining local skills training needs. Business growth training launched last month will help companies in Yorkshire and Humberside to improve the effectiveness of their training. In addition young people and unemployed adults are given the opportunity to train through YTS and employment training.
86. Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on skills training in the west midlands.
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Mr. Cope : A skilled work force is essential to the growing economy in the west midlands. The Government recognise this and are playing their part. We are establishing local training and enterprise councils which will put employers in the lead in determining local skills training needs. Business growth training launched last month will help companies in the west midlands to improve the effectiveness of their training. In addition young people and unemployed adults are given the opportunity to train through YTS and employment training.
80. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on skills training in the north-west.
Mr. Cope : A skilled work force is essential to the growing economy in the north-west. The Government recognise this and are playing their part. We are establishing local training and enterprise councils which will put employers in the lead in determining local skills training needs. Business growth training launched last month will help companies in the north-west to improve the effectiveness of their training. In addition young people and unemployed adults are given the opportunity to train through YTS and employment training.
Training Commission
73. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the development of the Training Commission.
Mr. Cope : The Employment Bill seeks to complete the abolition of the Training Commission.
New Businesses
74. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new businesses have registered for value added tax during the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Cope : The net increase in the number of VAT-registered businesses in 1987 was 45,000, or nearly 900 a week on average.
National Port Employers
76. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet representatives of the national port employers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has no such plans.
YTS
77. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the progress of two-year YTS.
Mr. Cope : Over 80 per cent. of those who complete their two-year YTS programme go into employment ; over 60 per cent. of those who complete gain a qualification. YTS is providing the skills and qualification that young people and the country needs as we move into the 1990s.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YTS trainees were in receipt of a
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training agency lodging allowance to undertake training away from their home by training agency area, at the end of March 1988, and the end of January, February and March 1989 ; and how many were in receipt of the allowance by region at March of each year since YTS started.Mr. Cope : The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people of YTS eligible age, registered with jobcentres or the careers service were awaiting an offer of a YTS place at the end of January, February and March 1989 ; and of those how many were receiving bridging allowance or extended child benefit or income support.
Mr. Cope : I am satisfied that the Training Agency has more than sufficient YTS places available in all areas of the country for all those who apply for one.
Information on numbers receiving bridging allowance and for those whose parents were receiving extended child benefit is provided in the table. Information on the number of young people receiving income support is not available.
Numbers whose parents are receiving extended child benefit Date |Number ------------------------------- 30 January 1989 |1,451 27 February 1989 |1,960 27 March 1989 |2,000
Numbers whose parents are receiving extended child benefit Date |Number ------------------------------- 30 January 1989 |1,451 27 February 1989 |1,960 27 March 1989 |2,000
Local Enterprise Agencies
78. Mr. Patnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what amount of Government funding was made available in 1988-89 to local enterprise agencies.
Mr. Cope : Government support to local enterprise agencies in the United Kingdom in 1988-89 exceeded £8.3 million.
Job Creation
81. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what new initiatives he has to reduce unemployment.
Mr. Lee : Unemployment has fallen by over 1.2 million and for 32 months in succession, the longest and largest sustained fall on record, as a direct result of the sustained growth brought about by the Government's sound economic policies. Since 1983 the workforce in employment has increased by nearly 3 million and there are now more people in work in this country than ever before in our history. We will continue to provide the right conditions for this jobs growth to continue. In addition we already have in place a comprehensive range of measures to help unemployed people back into the jobs that are becoming available--in particular the restart programme, job clubs and employment training.
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Unions (Secondary Action)
Mr. Curry : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to review the legislation on secondary action in an industrial action ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : Proposals for the reform of the law on secondary action are contained in the Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment" which was published on 20 March 1989.
Smoking
87. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his departmental policy towards smoking in the work place.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend welcomes the publication by the Health and Safety Executive in November 1988 of a free booklet "Passive Smoking at Work" which recommends that employers, in consultation with employees or their representatives, develop and implement policies to control smoking in their work place. The booklet advises employers to limit the exposure at work of non-smokers to tobacco smoke.
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, in the light of criticisms of the Health and Safety Executive's booklet "Passive Smoking at Work" he will take steps to withdraw this booklet from circulation and replace it with one which has the approval of the medical profession, and which takes account of the advice of the fourth report of the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend supports the advice given by the Health and Safety Executive in the booklet "Passive Smoking at Work" and has no intention of asking the executive to withdraw or replace it. The booklet takes account of the fourth report of the independent scientific committee on smoking and health and also refers readers to other sources of more detailed advice such as that published by the Health Education Authority. It outlines practical ways in which smoking policies can be introduced at work and was agreed with representatives of employers, trade unions and the medical profession.
Job Clubs
88. Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job clubs have been closed down, and are to be closed down in (a) Strathclyde, (b) Scotland and (c) England and Wales.
Mr. Lee : Changes to the job club network were announced in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) on 27 January 1989, Official Report column 810. As part of those changes the number of job clubs which have been closed down or are to be closed down shortly is :
|Number
------------------------------------
(a) Strathclyde |5
(b) Scotland |7
(c) England and Wales |207
Alternative provision is available where job clubs have been closed.
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Business Growth Training
91. Mr. Bright : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on business growth training.
Mr. Cope : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 19 April 1989, Official Report, column 211.
Small Businesses
92. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the general secretary of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss the expansion of small businesses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cope : My right hon. Friend and I are in regular contact with the CBI to discuss issues affecting small firms and other matters.
94. Mr. Tracey : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the British Venture Capital Association to discuss the development of small businesses.
Mr. Cope : I have regular contact with the BVCA but have no immediate plan to meet the chairman of the association.
Low Pay Unit
96. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has received the most recent report of the low pay unit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend is aware of this report and of similar publications prepared by the low pay unit, which do not call for any comment from him.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received the low pay Unit report, "Ten Years On : The Poor Decade" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has seen this report and similar publications prepared by the low pay unit, which purport to show large increases in the numbers of low-paid people, based on the unit's own definition and quoting the so-called Council of Europe "decency threshold". The Government do not accept the validity of those calculations. Earnings and take-home pay have increased in real terms at all levels of income since 1979, and among both women and men.
Companies (Worker Representation)
99. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he next intends to discuss worker representation on company boards with his European Economic Community counterparts in the Council of Employment Ministers.
Mr. Cope : My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs will be attending a meeting of internal market Ministers on 12 June when this subject may be discussed.
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