§ 35. Mr. J. Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture what would be the Government estimated annual cost of raising agricultural wages to a minimum of £2 per week for England and Wales, and in particular, for the county area of Holland in Lincolnshire?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithIt is not clear from the hon. Member's question whether he is referring to the cost of raising to £2 a week the statutory minimum wages or the actual wages of agricultural workers. In any case my Department does not possess the necessary data to enable a reliable estimate of the cost to be given. It is not merely a question of multiplying the number of workers by the difference between the average weekly minimum wage and £2, as there are other factors, such as special classes of workers, overtime, period of actual employment of casual workers, and so on. In the particular case of the Holland Division of Lincolnshire, workers employed as cattlemen, shepherds or horsemen are already entitled under the Minimum Wage Orders to a weekly wage in excess of 40s. and although the weekly minimum rate for ordinary adult male workers for that county is 37s. 6d., I understand that the majority of such workers are employed over a consdierable period of the year on piece-work in respect of which their earnings are at least 40s. per week.
§ Mr. MorganCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he would have found the answer to this question regarding wages any more difficult than he has found it to form an estimate of the cost of giving a subsidy to all various breeds of sheep scattered over the country?