§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give the fluctuations which have taken place in the wages of skilled men and labourers in Devonport Dockyard since 1914; and whether he will give the corresponding cost-of-living variations?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMShipwrights are the largest class of skilled workmen in the dockyards and the changes in their pay reflect substantially the changes in the pay predominantly prevailing for skilled men. On the 1st August, 1914, the rates of wages of shipwrights and labourers were 38s. a week and 23s. a week respectively. The changes in permanent rates which have taken place since that date are as follow:426W
Date. New Rate. Shipwrights: s. d. October, 1914 … 39 0 April, 1919 … 41 0 March, 1924 … 48 0 by transfer of 7s. of war increase to permanent rates. Labourers: October, 1914 … 24 0 February, 1924 … 26 0 March, 1924 … 33 0 by transfer of 7s. of war increase to permanent rates. The above rates are supplemented by temporary additions or "bonuses"; the amounts of these "bonuses" at the several dates since the "bonus" was instituted in 1915 are as follow:
Date payable. Amount of "Bonus." s. d. 28th March, 1915 3 0 19th December, 1915 4 0 23rd July, 1916 7 0 1st April, 1917 12 0 1st August, 1917 15 0 14th October, 1917 15 0 plus 12½ percent. on total earnings. 2nd December, 1917 20 0 do. 28th July, 1918 23 6 do. 24th November, 1918 28 6 do. 23rd November, 1919 33 6 do. 4th April, 1920 36 6 do. 6th June, 1920 39 6 do. 10th July, 1921 36 6 do. 4th September, 1921 33 6 do. 20th November, 1921 33 6 plus 8⅓ per cent. 18th December, 1921 33 6 plus 4⅙ per cent. 15th January, 1922 33 6 16th July, 1922 26 0 13th August, 1922 23 0 27th August, 1922 21 0 19th November, 1922 17 0 30th March, 1924 10 0 (7s. transferred to permanent rates). 3rd August, 1924 14 0 NOTE.—These "bonuses" have been paid to both skilled men and labourers.
The variations in the cost of living index figure between 1914 and the present rate, as published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette, are shown in the following table:—
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CHANGES IN COST OF LIVING. Summary Table: 1914 to 1928. Average Percentage Increase since July, 1914—All Items. (Food, rent, clothing, fuel and light, etc.) Month (beginning of). 1914. 1915. 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925. 1926. 1927. 1928. January … … … — 10–15 35 65 85–90 120 125 165 92 78 77 80 75 75 68 February … … … — 15 35 65–70 90 120 130 151 88 77 79 79 73 72 66 March … … … — 15–20 35–40 70 90 115 130 141 86 76 78 79 72 71 64 April … … … — 15–20 35–40 70–75 90–95 110 132 133 82 74 73 75 68 65 64 May … … … — 20 40–45 75 95–100 105 141 128 81 70 71 73 67 64 — June … … … — 25 45 75–80 100 105 150 119 80 69 69 72 68 63 — July … … … — 25 45–50 80 100–105 105–110 152 119 84 69 70 73 70 66 — August … … … Under 10. 25 45–50 80 110 115 155 122 81 71 71 73 70 64 — September … … … 25 50 80–85 110 115 161 120 79 73 72 74 72 65 — October … … … 30 50–55 75–80 115–120 120 164 110 78 75 76 76 74 67 — November … … … 30–35 60 85 120–125 125 176 103 80 75 80 76 79 69 — December … … … 10 35 65 85 120 125 169 99 80 77 81 77 79 69 —