§ 5. Mr. SUTCLIFFEasked the Minister of Labour whether in connection with the revision of the cost-of-living index, he will state the number of trades, professions, or businesses in which wages at the present time fluctuate in accordance with such index; and whether in all those cases he proposes to secure evidence from those thus concerned?
§ Mr. E. BROWNThe available information does not enable me to specify the actual number of trades, professions, or businesses in which wages fluctuate in accordance with the cost-of-living index, but some particulars as to the arrangements of this character which are known to be in operation, and the numbers of workpeople covered, were given on 19th March in a reply to the hon. Member for East Birkenhead (Mr. White) a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend. In view of the full information which is already in my possession on this subject, I do not think it will be necessary to adopt the suggestion contained in the second part of the question. As I stated, however, in the reply which I gave on 7th April to the hon. Member for East Aberbeen (Mr. Boothby) I propose to 1853 appoint a committee to advise as to the methods to be adopted in the collection of the information as to working-class family expenditure which will be used in revising the basis of the index number, and this committee will include representatives of employers and trade unions.