asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the approximate number of workers, shown according to the industry or profession in which they are engaged, who received the maximum bonus payable under Emergency Powers Order No. 260; (b) the date from which each such award became effective; (c) the total number of awards under Emergency Powers Order No. 260 or earlier Emergency Powers Wage Orders which involved payment of emergency bonuses to workers in receipt of £500 per annum, or more; (d) the industries or professions in which the awards at (c) were made; (e) the number of awards under Emergency Powers Wage Orders which involved the maximum award to workers in receipt of £500 per annum or more; and (f) the industries or professions in which the awards at (e) were made.
Written Answers. - Emergency Powers Orders.
The information requested at (a) and (b) of the question is not available. It would not be practicable to obtain, even approximately, particulars of the numbers of employees to whom bonus Orders would apply. Furthermore, the effect of such Orders is to permit, but not to compel, employers to pay the amount of bonus specified therein, and there is, therefore, no record of the numbers of employees who actually receive the bonus authorised by any particular bonus Order.
As regards the remaining parts of the question, 13 bonus Orders (excluding supplementary bonus Orders) made up to 1st instant authorised the payment of bonuses to workers in receipt of £500 per annum, or more, in the case of undertakings of the following classes: Breweries, railways, National University of Ireland, Irish Sugar Company, and an insurance company. Of these, 11 Orders, relating to the first four mentioned groups, authorised the payment of bonus at the maximum rate appropriate to the date of the bonus Order.