asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current hourly wage rate paid to operators employed by Enterprise Ulster; and how this compares with union-negotiated rates for comparable jobs in the construction industry.

The current hourly wage rate paid by Enterprise Ulster to site operatives is 99p. This is made up of a basic payment together with certain additional payments provided under group D of the structure agreed by the Northern Ireland Joint Industrial Council for Local Authority Services (Manual Workers). There is no precisely comparable category of employee in the construction industry; the nearest equivalent is that of labourer whose hourly rate of pay, agreed by the Joint Council for the Building and Civil Engineering Industry, is currently 98p.