§ 3. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Labour how many increases in wages have taken place since the issue of the White Paper on Personal Incomes; how many people are affected by these increases; and the total weekly value of these increases.
§ Mr. IsaacsThe increases in rates of wages reported to my Department as taking effect between the beginning of February and the end of August, 1948, affected nearly 4½ million workpeople and resulted in an aggregate increase of £1 million a week. I am unable to say how many increases have taken place.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether all these increases came within the special circumstances contemplated by Paragraph 7 (d) of the White Paper?
§ Mr. IsaacsYes, Sir.
§ Mr. W. J. BrownCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us what relation that figure of £1 million per week bears to the total wages bill in Britain?
§ Mr. IsaacsI am afraid that I cannot say without notice.
§ 7. Sir Waldron Smithersasked the Minister of Labour the number of workers involved in each industry who have received an increase of pay since the Economic Survey for 1948 was issued; and what is the total annual amount.
§ Mr. IsaacsAs the reply involves a table of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir W. SmithersWhen will the Government realise that every increase in wages in these critical times increases our costs of production and impedes or destroys—
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is quite a hypothetical argument.
§ Sir W. SmithersOn a point of Order. This Economic Survey—
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member merely asked for a number to be stated, and then he goes on to an assumption. Really, there is a limit to the scope of supplementary questions.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The number of workers reported to the Department as having received increases of rates of wages between the beginning of March and the end of August, 1948, and the aggregate amount of such increases per week, were as follow:
| Industry Group | Approximate number of workpeople affected by net increases. | Estimated net amount of increase in weekly wages. |
| £ | ||
| Agriculture | — | — |
| Mining and quarrying | 49,000 | 23,500 |
| Brick, pottery, glass, chemical, etc. | 62,500 | 16,000 |
| Metal, engineering and shipbuilding | 382,500 | 124,000 |
| Textile | 299,000 | 88,000 |
| Clothing | 252,000 | 98,000 |
| Food, drink and tobacco | 97,500 | 36,500 |
| Woodworking, furniture, etc. | 102,500 | 31,500 |
| Paper, printing, etc. | 150,500 | 63,500 |
| Building, civil engineering construction, etc. | 961,000 | 80,500 |
| Gas, water and electricity supply | 223,500 | 58,000 |
| Transport | 626,000 | 144,500 |
| Public administration services | 319,500 | 90,000 |
| Distributive trades | 239,000 | 54,500 |
| Other | 114,000 | 29,000 |
| Total | 3,878,500 | 937,500 |