§ 3. Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Minister of Labour what has been the percentage movement of labour between service to manufacturing industry since the passing of the Selective Employment Payments Act, 1967.
§ Mr. HattersleyProvisional estimates of employees in employment in manufacturing industries in Great Britain show a decrease of about 5 per cent. between September, 1966 and January, 1968. Comparable estimates are not available for the service industries.
§ Mr. RidsdaleDid not the hon. Gentleman say that this figure would be available early in 1968? Is it not quite clear now that Government policies, and particularly the S.E.T., are now enabling labour to be redeployed into productive industry, particularly as 395,000 equals the 5 per cent. about which the Minister spoke?
§ Mr. HattersleyI have told the House, and perhaps I have told the hon. Gentleman, on previous occasions, that the full effect of the S.E.T. cannot yet be felt, but that our certain impression is that it is doing the job it set out to do.