HC Deb 19 April 1971 vol 815 cc791-2
9. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications what are the salaries paid to the executive heads of the postal and telecommunications administrations in each of the European Economic Community countries; and whether, in order to facilitate United Kingdom entry, he will bring the salary of the Chairman of the Post Office Board into line with these salaries.

Mr. Chataway

It is not possible to make any useful comparison of this kind. In any case, the Post Office as a public corporation has at present no counterpart in Europe.

Mr. Lewis

The information may not be useful to the Minister, but will he please give it? Since the Government appear to be anxious to go into the Common Market under any conditions, they will have to implement its wages and conditions—which in the Community are about three times as high as they are in this country. Does he intend to treble the wages of Post Office workers and all those in the postal services to help us get into the Common Market?

Mr. Chataway

I am not sure that there is any obligation whatever, either inside or outside the Common Market, to pay the same rates to executives or to anybody else in the nationalised industries as prevail in Europe.

Mr. Richard

Since the Minister has been asked to look at the salary of the Chairman of the Post Office Board, will he say when we are to have a Chairman?

Mr. Chataway

I hope to be able to make an announcement on that matter fairly shortly.

Mr. Marten

Is not one of the arguments advanced for our going into Europe the fact that wages in this country will rise to the same level as the wages paid in the Common Market?

Mr. Chataway

The Question, as my hon. Friend will see, asks me to bring the salary of the Chairman of the Post Office Board into line with the salaries of people who do not actually exist in Europe, since there is no counterpart to the Post Office. I am afraid that the proposition as put to me has its difficulties.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the answer, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.