§ 29. Miss Vickersasked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many men he took over from the Navy Works Department; how the rates of pay compare with those of the Navy Works Department; and how many men earn less than £11 per week.
§ Mr. RipponAltogether, 15,275 non-industrial and industrial staff, including 862 women and juveniles, were transferred to the Ministry from the Admiralty in April, 1963. They all retained their rates of pay on transfer. Of the total, 4,269 are locally engaged overseas and earnings figures for them are not available centrally. Of the 1,598 non-industrial and 9,408 industrial staff in the United Kingdom, 115 and 2,000, respectively, are now earning less than £11 a week.
§ Miss VickersWill my right hon. Friend look into the question of those earning less than £a week and say how their salaries compare with what they would earn in private industry for doing the same jobs?
§ Mr. RipponThey are paid at Government rates, which in this case are reviewed twice a year in negotiation with the trade unions concerned.
§ Mr. C. PannellMay I ask whether a wage claim is at present outstanding for these people, because I am sure that the figure will strike most hon. Members as being rather low?
§ Mr. RipponAs I pointed out, a review of their rates is made every six months. I cannot say whether at the moment a particular claim is outstanding.