§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Labour the number of wage earners who have sustained reductions in wages during the year ended 31st March, 1925, and what was the total financial effect of such deductions?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIn the industries for which statistics are compiled by the Ministry of Labour the total number of workpeople whoso wages were reduced in the year ended 31st March, 1925, was about 700,000. The net reduction in the weekly full-time rates of wages of these workpeople during that period was about £53,000. I may observe that a much larger number of workers received net increases in wages in the same period. These figures relate mainly, though not exclusively, to organised groups of wage-earners, and they do not include the effects of changes in the wages of agricultural labourers, domestic servants, police, shop assistants, clerks, or Government employés?, as to whom complete statistics are not available.