§ Mrs. Tateasked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that women working in Royal Ordnance factories now receive a minimum wage of 63s. per week; and whether these rates are to apply to all factories where women are engaged on comparable work?
§ Mr. AsshetonThere are no Royal Ordnance factories in which there is a minimum wage of 63s. a week for women. The minimum rates authorised for Royal Ordnance factories vary, by agreement with the trade unions concerned, according to the class of work carried out in the respective groups. The rates of the great majority of the women concerned are those provided in the women's schedule agreed for the engineering industry as a whole. Higher rates, agreed with trade unions, are paid where the work on which women are now employed was previously not commonly performed by women.