§ 27. Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Minister of Labour how many wage and salary earners will come under the category of lowest-paid workers as laid down in the White Paper, Statement on the Prices and Incomes Standstill concerning a Period of Severe Restraint.
§ Mr. GunterIt is not possible to predict how many cases will satisfy the strict criterion laid down in paragraph 28 of Cmnd. 3150.
§ Mr. PriceWill my right hon. Friend try to make an estimate because, in the terms of the White Paper, it looks as though it will be up to the Minister of Social Security to a very great extent to help these lower-paid workers and, unless she knows exactly how many she has to help, it will be very difficult to start planning and make correct predictions?
§ Mr. GunterI can only say that one of the great difficulties in this problem is to arrive at the definition of what the lowest-paid worker is. There are great disputes raging on both sides of industry about it.