§ 16. Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity when she plans to publish the survey about the incidence of low pay throughout the economy.
§ Mrs. CastleInformation about the incidence of low pay in September 1968 is being obtained from our recent new survey of earnings of employees. As results become available, they will be published in the Employment and Productivity Gazette. I hope the first results will be given in the May issue.
§ Mr. AshleyCan my right hon. Friend explain why she is being less successful in dealing with the problems of low-paid workers than with those of the chairmen of the nationalised industries? Can she assure the House that when the survey is finally published, she will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes all those industries with a high proportion of low-paid workers, in the hope that they can benefit from the generosity of the Board?
§ Mrs. CastlePerhaps I should remind my hon. Friend that I have not yet dealt with the chairmen of the nationalised industries. As I have said already, I shall be making a statement on that point later in the week.
As for his other points, I think that the National Board for Prices and Incomes is very understanding of the problems of the low-paid workers. I have been anxious to obtain more information on the problems so that we can tackle them more successfully. That is why we have carried out this new earnings survey, and it is also why we shall publish shortly the report of an inter-Departmental working party on the costs and implications of introducing a national minimum wage.