HL Deb 24 June 1971 vol 320 c982

3.12 p.m.

BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will now give the evidence on which they base their contention that wage settlements are now running at a reduced level.]

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORT-FOLIO (LORD DRUMALBYN)

My Lords, the evidence is to be found in the monthly indices of wage rates and of earnings published in the Department of Employment Gazette. According to these, the annual rates of increase in basic wage rates and average earnings which at the beginning of this year were both above 14 per cent., are now running at about 12½ per cent. and 12 per cent respectively. Many of the major pay settlements notified to the Department of Employment so far this year have been about 10 per cent.

BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his Answer, may I ask him whether this means that the reticence which his noble colleague exhibited on the last occasion when a Question of this kind was put down is now to be abandoned and we can have actual information on the level of wage settlements?

LORD DRUMALBYN

My Lords, what I am saying, with respect to the noble Baroness, is that the evidence was there all the time.