§ 55. Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what estimate she has made of the increase in productivity during the past 12 months of tally clerks employed at the London Docks and of agricultural workers, respectively; and what are the present average weekly earnings of adult male workers in each of these two occupations.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe tonnage of foreign trade other than fuels handled in the London enclosed docks per ships' clerk employed increased between 1967 and 1968 by some 15 per cent. Output per person employed in agriculture was estimated in the recent report of the National Beard for Prices and Incomes to have been increasing at an annual rate of 6 to 7 per cent. The current average weekly earnings of ships clerks are estimated to be about £33 and of adult male 1076 agricultural workers in England and Wales about £17.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltDoes not the hon. Gentleman think there is something rather strange about that Answer?
§ Mr. WalkerNothing so strange, I think, as the supplementary question.