§ 8. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what are the gross average earnings of women workers in the West Midlands.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe latest available annual figure is £581 for the tax year 1967 to 1968 as published in the Abstract of Regional Statistics 1969. This relates to all women, including part-time workers, aged 18 to 59 with at least 48 national insurance contributions paid in the period and covered by P.A.Y.E. arrangements.
§ Mrs. ShortI am obliged to my hon. Friend for confirming what I told him last time he answered my Question about this. Does he recall that when I asked him what the average gross earnings for women were he did not want to believe me when I said that West Midlands women were earning less? Does he not think that this proves conclusively that it is high time we had the Bill for equal pay for equal work?
§ Mr. WalkerI must point out that while the figures for the West Midlands are lower than the national average, they are only marginally so. The national 1696 average is £587. But I wholeheartedly agree about the need for equal pay.