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Written Answers

Volume 391: debated on Wednesday 10 May 1978

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Written Answers

Dancers: Employment Statistics

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many dancers were in employment, and how many were registered as unemployed in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

Separate information for dancers is not available. It is estimated that, during the period 1975–1977, about 30,000 to 40,000 people were at work in the following occupations:

  • actors; singers, instrumentalists, dancers, and other entertainment performers; musical composers and choreographers; directors, producers, managers, and related occupations in the performing, audio and visual arts.

The number of unemployed people registered at employment offices as seeking work in the above occupations was:

June 19753,976
June 19764,955
June 19775,643

The above figures exclude teachers specialising in the arts, though it is known that there is movement from teaching to performing and vice-versa, which may affect the way in which individuals describe their work at different

times.

Musicians: Employment Statistics

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many musicians were in employment, and how many were registered as unemployed in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

Separate information is not available for musicians. It is estimated that, during the period 1975–1977, about 30,000 to 40,000 people were at work in the following occupations:

  • actors, singers, instrumentalists, dancers, and other entertainment performers; musical composers and choreographers; directors, producers, managers, and related occupations in the performing, audio and visual arts.

The number of unemployed people registered at employment offices as seeking work in the above occupations was:

June 19753,976
June 19764,955
June 19775,634

The above figures exclude teachers specialising in the arts, though it is known that there is movement from teaching to performing and vice-versa, which may affect the way in which individuals describe their work at different times.

Entertainment Industry: Employment Statistics

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many actors, actresses, directors and other persons engaged in theatrical, cinema and television work were in employment, and how many were registered as unemployed, in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

Separate information for actors, actresses, directors and other persons engaged in theatrical, cinema and television work is not available. It is estimated that, during the period 1975–1977, about 30,000 to 40,000 people were at work in the following occupations:

  • actors, singers, instrumentalists, dancers, and other entertainment performers musical composers and choreographers; directors, producers, managers, and related occupations in the performing, audio and visual arts.
The number of unemployed people registered at employment offices as seeking work in the above occupations was:

June 19753,976
June 19764,955
June 19775,643

The above figures exclude teachers specialising in the arts, though it is known that there is movement from teaching to performing and vice-versa, which may affect the way in which individuals describe their work at different times.

Wages Council Act

asked Her Majesty's Government:(1) Whether they will give estimates of the numbers of men and of women who are covered by each of the councils established under the Wages Council Act;(2) Whether they will give for the latest year for which figures are available the numbers of men and of women who have made inquiries about their entitlements under Wages Council regulations and the numbers of those men and of those women who were considered to be "in scope" of Wages Councils;(3) In how many cases in each year since 1963 the Wages Inspectorate has initiated civil or criminal proceedings under the Wages Councils Acts to secure payment of arrears, and how many of these cases involved underpayment of women; and(4) Whether they will give for each year since 1963 (i) the numbers of firms inspected by wages inspectors under the Wages Council Act; (ii) the numbers of male and of female employees whose wages were examined; (iii) the number of each sex who received arrears; and (iv) the amount of arrears paid to male and to female employees respectively.

Following is the information. Separate figures for men and women are not available.

(1)

Wages Council

Approximate No. of workers covered

Aerated Waters (E and W)18,000
Aerated Waters (Scotland)1,500
Boot and Shoe Repairing10,000
Button Manufacturing4,000
Coffin Furniture and Cerement-Making600
Corset16,000
Cotton Waste Reclamation750
Dressmaking andWomen'sLight Clothing (E and W)125,000
DressmakingandWomen'sLight Clothing (Scotland)9,000
Flax and Hemp2,500
Fur7,000
General Waste Materials Reclamation20,000
Hairdressing Undertakings135,000
Hat, Cap and Millinery (Great Britain)7,500
Lace Finishing1,000
Laundry65,000
Licensed Non-residential Establishment350,000
Licensed Residential Establishment and Licensed Restaurant390,000
Linen and Cotton Handkerchief and Household Goods and Linen Piece Goods6,500
Made-up Textiles5,500
Ostrich and Fancy Feather and Artificial Flower750
Perambulator and Invalid Carriage3,000
Pin, Hook and Eye and Snap Fastener750
Ready-made and Wholesale Bespoke Tailoring120,000
Retail Bespoke Tailoring (Great Britain)7,500
Retail Book selling and Stationery Trades30,000
Retail Bread and Flour Confectionery Trade (E and W)62,000
Retail Bread and Flour Confectionery Trade (Scotland)9,000
Retail Drapery, Outfitting and Foot-wear Trades400,000
Retail Food Trades (E and W)300,000
Retail Food Trades (Scotland)35,000
Retail Furnishing and Allied Trades200,000
Retail Newsagency, Tobacco and Confectionery Trades (E and W)85,000
Retail Newsagency, Tobacco and Confectionery Trades(Scotland)13,000
Road Haulage210,000
Rope, Twine and Net5,000
Rubber Proofed Garment Making Industry1,000
Sack and Bag2,500
Shirt making25,000
Toy Manufacturing30,000
Unlicensed Place of Refreshment130,000
Wholesale Mantle and Costume64,000
TOTAL2,908,350

(2) 296,159 in 1977, of which 219,799 were within scope of wages councils:

(3)

Year

No. of prosecutions

No. of civil proceedings

197774
19767
197528
197422
19732
19722
19711
197013
19693
19682
19673
196613
196512
196461
196311

(4)

Year

No. of firms inspected

No. of workers whose wages were examined

No. receiving arrears

Amount of arrears paid

£
196349,326277,75715,151149,094
196448,606271,34414,745161,408
196549,827276,34615,339185,993
196651,108282,75715,720183,665
196749,729264,11514,677181,946
196850,905265,37013,417177,930
196950,156271,12513,052171,702
197053,941262,27911,928157,898
197151,593253,71411,968163,747
197248,507235,72014,414241,481
197346,840231,07016,910306,311
197441,376204,63515,368326,826
197538,740198,54222,604581,906
197631,607154,47524,831940,539
197730,930150,45226,9201,588,248

Canada/Uk: Garment Import Duty

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the average rate of import duty on (

a) woollen and ( b) man-made fibre garments levied by Canada on United Kingdom imports, and by the United Kingdom on Canadian imports.

For those garments for which import statistics distinguish between woollen and man-made fibre products, the trade weighted average rates of import duty are as given below:

Average rate of import duty on garments
WoollenMan-made fibre
Canadian imports from the UK21·9%20·0%
UK imports from Canada16·5%17·3%
House adjourned at twenty minutes before midnight.