17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how he intends to increase the number of prosecutions for breaches of minimum wage legislation.
The policy of the wages inspectorate under all Governments has been to seek compliance with wages council regulations by advice and persuasion and to prosecute ones where an offence is deliberate or repeated and the evidence is considered adequate. There are no plans to change this policy.
43.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to increase minimum wage levels.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Members for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett), for Pontefract and Castleford (Mr. Lofthouse) and for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham) on 5 December 1989, Official Report, columns 202–3.