§ 72. Mr. Hiltonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the average weekly earnings of regular whole-time adult male agricultural workers for the 12 months ended September, 1961; and what were the average weekly hours worked by those workers.
§ Mr. SoamesThe average weekly earnings of regular whole-time adult male workers in England and Wales for the year ended 30th September, 1961, were £10 16s. 3d. The corresponding number of weekly hours worked was 51.2.
§ Mr. Hiltonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the average weekly value of the payments in kind received by adult male farmworkers for the year ended September, 1961, the percentage of their total earnings represented by those payments in kind, the percentage of these workers who receive payments in kind such as cottages, milk, potatoes and board and lodgings, and the percentage of farm workers not in receipt of any premium above the minimum wage.
Mr. VaneIn the year ended 30th September, 1961, the average weekly value of payments in kind—assessed in accordance with Agricultural Wages Orders—received by hired regular whole-time adult male workers in England and Wales was 6s. 4d., representing 2.9 per cent. of their average total weekly earnings in that year. The proportion of these workers who received such payments were, in round figures: cottages 46 per cent., board and/or lodging 5 per cent., milk 24 per cent., potatoes 5 per cent., other minor payments in kind 5 per cent. Some workers received payment in kind under more than one of these headings. The proportion of workers who in that year did not receive a premium over the minimum wage was 20 per cent.