§ Mr. SNELLasked the Minister of Agriculture the minimum rates of wages, with hours, for male and female agricultural workers in the various areas under his administration, the average minimum rates, and the percentage increase over pre-War rates?
Mr. GUINNESSThe following statement gives the minimum rates of wages and the hours on which they are based for adult male and female agricultural workers in each county. The average of the ordinary minimum rates throughout England and Wales is in the case of male workers, 31s. 8d. per week and in that of female workers, 5⅓d. per hour. Insufficient information is available as to the wages paid in 1914 to enable a precise comparison for each county to be made for that year, but the average of the weekly minimum rates at present in force for male workers in England and Wales shows an increase of approximately 76 per cent. on the estimated average wage in 1914. This comparison, however, takes no account of overtime payments nor of extra earnings at special seasons and no allowance is made for the shorter hours now worked. I have no details as to the pre-War wages for women.
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Area. Male Workers. Female Workers. Minimum Weekly Wage. Hours in respect of Minimum which Minimum Weekly Wage is payable. Minimum Rate. In summer. In Winter. In Summer. In Winter. Durham 30 0 31 0 50 50 2s. 6d. per day of 8 hours. Essex 30 0 30 0 50 48 5½║ Gloucestershire 30 0 30 0 50 48 5 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 30 6 30 6 51 48 5 Herefordshire 31 0 31 0 53 48 4½ Hertfordshire 31 0 31 0 48 48 24s. per week of 48 hours.† Kent 32 6 32 6 52 48 5½ Lancashire (excluding Furness District). 33 6§ 33 6§ 50 50 6 Leicestershire 34 0 34 0 54 54 5 Rutland 32 6 32 6 54 54 5 Lincolnshire: Holland 35 0 35 0 50 48 6 Kesteven and Lindsey 32 0 32 0 52 48 5½ Middlesex 34 4½ 33 0 50 48 25s. per week of 50 hours in Summer; 24s. per week of 48 hours in Winter. Monmouth 32 0 32 0 50 48 6 Norfolk 30 0 30 0 50 48 5 Northamptonshire and Soke of Peterborough. 30 0 30 0 50 48 6 Northumberland 32 0 32 0 52½ 48 5 Nottinghamshire 32 0 32 0 50 50 5 Oxfordshire 30 0 30 0 50 48 6 Shropshire 32 6 32 6 54 54 5 Somerset 32 0 32 0 52 50 6║ Staffordshire 31 6 31 6 54 54 5 Suffolk 30 0 30 0 50 48 5║ Surrey 32 3 32 3 50 50 5½ Sussex 31 0 31 0 52 48 5 Warwickshire 30 0 30 0 50 48 5 Wiltshire 30 0 30 0 50 50 5 Worcestershire 30 0 30 0 50 48 4½ Yorkshire: East Riding 35 0 35 0 52½ 48 6 North Riding 33 0 33 0 52½ 48 6 West Riding 36 0 36 0 52½ 48 6 Anglesey and Carnarvon 31 0 31 0 50 50 6 Carmarthenshire 31 0 31 0 54 54 5 Denbigh and Flint 30 6 30 6 50 50 5 Glamorganshire 36 0 36 0 52 48 6 Merioneth and Montgomery 31 6 31 6 54 54 5 Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire 31 0 31 0 54 50 5 Radnorshire and Breconshire 31 0 31 0 54 48 5 * In certain areas special minimum rates of wages have been fixed for certain special classes of male workers (e.g. horsemen, cattlemen and shepherds) whose duties in connection with the care of stock involve the working of longer hours, and such rates have also been fixed for female workers in Middlesex. † 19 years of age and over. ‡ 20 years of age and over. § Southern area only. ║ 21 years of age and over