§ Mr. Osborneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated amount invested in equity capital and of fixed interest capital, including Government and corporation stocks, building society and Trustee Bank savings; and what has been the percentage increase in the annual remuneration on all capital since 1945.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret that the available information is insufficient to enable me to give a useful estimate in answer to either part of the Question.
177W
§ Mr. Osborneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the percentage increase for each year separately since 1945 of wages, dividends, and the cost of living,
Percentage increase from previous year Percentage increase between 1946 and 1953 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1. Average weekly earnings per head of wage earners 2 9 9 4 5 10 8 6 64 2. Total wage bill … 13 12 5 5 11 6 6 76 3. Total interest and dividends paid by companies and public corporations … 6 3 1 4 11 5 12 50 4. Retail prices: working-class households … … 8 3 3 9 9 3 40* 5. Retail prices of all consumers' goods and services 3 6 8 3 3 9 6 2 43 Notes:
For several series, comparable figures are not available for 1945, so that no percentage change can be given for 1946. For this reason, the last column shows the percentage increase between 1946 and 1953.
Line 1: Statistics of average earnings of operatives in manufacturing and a number of other industries in certain weeks of each year published in Ministry of Labour Gazette.
Line 2: From "National Income and Expenditure 1946 to 1953", Table 2.
Line 3: From "National Income and Expenditure 1946 to 1953", Table 3.
Line 4: Interim Index of Retail Prices published in Ministry of Labour Gazette. Relates to changes in prices paid by working-class households since June, 1947. The figure for 1948 shows the percentage change from June, 1947.
Line 5: From "National Income and Expenditure 1946 to 1953", Table 20.
* Average of 1953 compared with June 1947.