asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any evidence of a correlation during the years 1979 to 1985 between the numbers of people employed in the wages inspectorate and the numbers of workers paid arrears after their employers were found to have been underpaying them; and if he will make a statement.
The number of inspectors influences the number of underpayments found, but the link is not necessarily causal and does not hold under all circumstances. For example, in 1969, when there were 146 inspectors in post, only 13,000 workers were found to have been underpaid whereas in 1984, when there were 115 inspectors in post, over 18,000 workers were found to have been underpaid. As 17 per cent. of the establishments visited in 1969 were found to have been underpaying one or more workers compared with 35 per cent. in 1984, it is clear that the general level of compliance is a very important factor.The figures for the period to which the question relates were as follows:
Wages Inspectors in post | Workers paid arrears and wages | Percentage of establishments visited under-paying one or more workers per cent. | |
1979 | 159 | 22,457 | 31·5 |
1980 | 155 | 28,373 | 35·1 |
1981 | 117½ | 24,117 | 41·3 |
1982 | 116 | 18,562 | 39·8 |
1983 | 116 | 18,494 | 37·4 |
1984 | 115 | 15,801 | 35·6 |
1985 (June) | 120 | * | * |
* Not available |