asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the growing practice on the part of provident clothing and supply companies, check traders, and other similar firms, of ending their present contract of employment with their part-time workers and treating these people as self-employed with the obvious intent of terminating their responsibilities under the National Insurance Act, the Redundancy Payments Act and the Contracts of Employment Act; and if he will take steps to stop this practice.

I have current information about one firm of this type which has proposed to its part-time agents a new contract under which they would be self-employed. I understand that the union concerned is in touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance about the correct classification of these workers for national insurance purposes.

The Contracts of Employment Act and the Redundancy Payments Act do not apply to part-time workers working less than 21 hours a week. It is open to workers who are covered by these Acts to pursue claims in respect of notice through the courts and in respect of redundancy payments, through the industrial tribunals.

While expressing my thanks for the investigations that have been made, may I ask whether my hon. Friend is aware that many of these firms which are indulging in this practice are escaping their liabilities under the Selective Employment Tax which will be coming into operation in October? Is she aware further that, surely, in the interests of the nation, of the employee and of the consumer, it is high time the practice was thoroughly investigated and a stop put to it?

My right hon. Friend and I very much deprecate the practice, but the hon. Gentleman will recognise that the case which he has in mind presents special circumstances, and it was to that case that my original Answer was referring.

Is the hon. Lady aware that in answer to an early Question, the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance said that the Government would take steps to halt the spread of self-employment? Can she outline the steps that the Government have in mind?

This is a wider Question. In answer to it, I can say that it is very much under discussion at present. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would care to put down a specific Question on it.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish the figures for male and for female workers employed whole time in agriculture and horticulture in the south-west region in 1955 and 1965 in the following age groups, that is to say, under 18, 18 and 19, 20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 54, 55 to 59, 60 to 64, and 65 years of age and over, respectively.

I regret that the information is not available in full. I will, with permission, publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the estimated numbers of males and females under and over 18 employed in the industry in the years in question. The estimates do not distinguish between whole-time and part-time workers and part-time workers are accordingly included in the table.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but, as the information sought has been published nationally in the Gazette, it must have been obtained on a county or regional basis to enable national figures to be published. As the information is required for regional planning councils, will she undertake to look into the matter again?

I am afraid that the analysis is based upon a 1 per cent, sample, and it is not possible to break it down in order to give an accurate figure for the regions.

asked the Minister of Labour by what percentage the recent Wages Council Order has increased rates and earnings in the aerated water industry.

The recent Wages Regulation Order giving effect to proposals from the Aerated Waters Wages Council for England and Wales raised the statutory minimum rates for adult men and women workers by 10s. and 8s. 6d. per week respectively and provided for smaller increases for young workers. These cash increases represented increases in the statutory minima ranging from 4·7 per cent, to 6·7 per cent, according to grade, age and sex.

I have no information about the effect on earnings.

Could the hon. Lady say whether, in view of the new responsibilities which the Ministry of Labour has for the prices and incomes policy, confirmation of these Wages Council Orders will be subject to the purported disciplines of the prices and incomes policy?

The hon. Gentleman will be aware, first, that there are no powers to alter the suggestions and proposals of the Wages Councils. There are only powers to send them back or to accept them. He will be aware further that, since the minimum wages in this industry now amount to £9 19s. per week for a man and £6 19s. per week for an adult woman, they are well below even the Wages Council average level.

asked the Minister of Labour how many wage and salary negotiations have been concluded during the past 12 months at or below an increase of 3½ per cent.; how many similar negotiations have been concluded for increases above 3½ per cent.; and what are the numbers of employees involved, respectively.

I have knowledge of 319 settlements for pay increases and hours reductions covering 10·8 million workers in the last 12 months. Of these 50 settlements have been for 1·2 million salaried workers, and 269 for 9·6 million wage earners.

It is not possible to give a precise answer to the hon. Gentleman's Question. These settlements are complicated and involve different increases for different classes of workers, which may be related, for example, to skills, geographical areas and, in the case of salaries, to variations in and between scales.

If the hon. Lady cannot give an answer of the nature requested in the Question, does not it show the whole futility of the prices and incomes policy?

The hon. Gentleman may have forgotten that on 16th May an Answer was given to his hon. Friend the Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins) in which the specific percentage figure was given for salary increases for the year ending October, 1965, and the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that it is too soon to give a similar figure for the current year.

Is my hon. Friend aware that landlords' incomes from farmers' rents have increased by 7 per cent? Are these increases included in these rises?

I appreciate my hon. Friend's interest, but he will recognise that this is not fully a question which I can answer at the present time since it falls within the responsibility of another Minister, but this is the kind of thing that we have in mind.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will cause to be maintained a register of those disabled and retired persons at present in full or part-time employment whose employment is terminated as a result of the Selective Employment Tax.

No, Sir. A careful watch will be kept on the Unemployed Register to see whether there is any marked change in the number of disabled persons and persons above retirement age previously employed in the service industries.

Does the hon. Lady realise that there are, or may be, a large number of these people who cannot contribute enough to justify an employer paying the extra amount involved in the Selective Employment Tax? Will she considpr keeping a special register of these to see what the effects will be? I am only talking about keeping a register to find out the facts.

My right hon. Friend and I are not unsympathetic to the hon. Gentleman's purpose, but he will appreciate that it is very difficult to establish precisely why employment is terminated, and therefore we are going to base our attempts to assess any effect that this may have on the monthly count of the unemployment register and reports from local offices. This is a question of method and not of principle.

What justification can the hon. Lady give for imposing this tax on the employment of disabled people?

The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that this tax is being imposed on employers, and that the disabled register is still in existence, and my Minister will make every effort to ensure that this group does not suffer.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the average time which disabled male and female workers remain on the books of employment exchanges after the successful termination of training courses at Government training centres.

This information is not available, but in the 3 months ending 14th March, 1966, 80 per cent, of the disabled males completing courses at Government training centres, and all of the females completing courses, were placed immediately upon the termination of the courses.

I thank the hon. Lady for that satisfactory Answer, but may I ask her to pay particular attention to a case which I shall draw to her attention at a later stage, and may I also ask her to warn her right hon. Friend that the effective and dedicated work of Government training centres could have their whole object and success imperilled by the Selective Employment Tax if this is going to result in a large number of employers being even more hesitant to employ disabled people?

Order. We are glad that the hon. Member is better, but he must be brief.

I think that the House will agree that this proportion is a very fair one, and we will look with interest at the details of the case which the hon. Gentleman sends me.