§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Minister of Labour what steps he proposed to take 467W to ensure that workers' real incomes shall be maintained at a not lower than present level of real value, and if it is proposed to introduce a sliding scale to move with the changing costs of living.
§ Mr. BevinI would refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper on Employment Policy in which reference is made to the subject of prices and wages. It is not contemplated that there will be any change in the general system of regulation of wages by joint voluntary agreement, and it is for the parties to negotiating machinery to determine whether they wish to regulate wages by a sliding scale based on changes in the cost of living.