HC Deb 02 April 1985 vol 76 c1051
7. Mr. Ron Davies

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average growth in real income for a single person on 60 per cent. average national income for each of the last five years for which information is available.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

For a single adult on 60 per cent. of the average national gross weekly earnings of all adult male employees, real take-home earnings, that is real earnings after deducting tax and national insurance, have increased by 5 per cent. over the past five financial years.

Mr. Davies

I hope that the Minister takes no comfort from those figures. In Wales, some 34 per cent. of households have an income that is 60 per cent. or less than the Welsh average. Given that Wales has one of the highest levels of unemployment—20 per cent.—are not claims that only wage moderation will produce more jobs not only pious but offensive and divisive?

Mr. Bottomley

The hon. Gentleman will agree that there is the greatest moral case for lifting people's incomes by getting them into work. Secondly, he will also agree that if we can avoid increasing nominal gross earnings by six times the rate of real income increase from employment, we shall find ourselves with more jobs rather than fewer, because the figures show that earnings have risen six times faster than real take-home pay.