§ 38. Sir WILFRID SUGDENasked the Minister of Labour if he will give details of wages paid to employés in the nine principal industries of the country in 1913, and to date; and if he will state what action he is taking to adjust the wages in those industries where the increase has not been in keeping with the cost of living, and where the numerical strength of their trade unions nor the Trade Wages Board have been able to give such proper protection to the relativity of their wages?
§ Sir M. BARLOWA special article giving comparative information, so far as available, as to the rates of wages paid in the principal industries at the beginning of August, 1914, and at the end of March, 1923, is published in the current issue of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette," a 453 copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member. With regard to the second part of the question, I have no authority to take action of the kind referred to by the hon. Member. Except in the case of trades the conditions in which make it necessary to establish Trade Boards for the purpose of fixing minimum rates of wages, the policy of the Government is to leave employers and workers free themselves to settle the conditions in their industries.