MINISTERIAL BROADCAST (Hansard, 6 March 1973)

§ Q10. Mr. Bidwell
asked the Prime Minister if he will arrange for a copy of his ITV broadcast and interview on Thursday 22nd February on Government policies to be placed in the House of Commons Library.

§ The Prime Minister
I did so on 26th February, Sir.

§ Mr. Bidwell
While thanking the Prime Minister for making that available, may I remind him and the House that in that broadcast he alluded to national average earnings being about £35 a week? Is he aware that averages are very misleading? Millions of people in this country are in receipt of incomes far lower than that. The hon. Member for Southall has received correspondence in terms of bitter anguish requiring him to make known the feelings of people in receipt of incomes of £20 and £25 a week, to point 234 out that the Government's prices and incomes code does nothing to rectify this serious position, that the formula of El plus 4 per cent. has nothing to do with the question whatever, that we must consider—[HON. MEMBERS: "Too long."]—not so much low-paid jobs as low-paid industries and that the Prime Minister's formula moves away from doing something seriously for the low-paid workers?

§ The Prime Minister
I agree with the hon. Gentleman on the misunderstanding of many people, which has also been shown in my correspondence, about average industrial earnings. Of course, to take au average means that a large number of people are below that figure as, indeed, a large number of people are above it in industrial earnings. The point that I was using and have used before was to show that, for example, on rent rebates, the new arrangement which we have made will enable everybody up to average earnings not to pay more even after the increase under stage 2 of the policy. It was certainly justifiable to use it in that way. However, I agree that whenever an average figure is quoted, by its very nature there must be a number below as well as above.

§ Sir Gilbert Longden
Will my right hon. Friend tell the House how very many pay settlements have already been made within the guidelines of phase 2?

§ The Prime Minister
A considerable number have been made, I agree. I can let my hon. Friend have the details if he would like to have them, or publish them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The major ones of course have been notified to us and we know about them.