§ Sir C. Osborneasked the Minister of Labour how many wage claims have been made since the standstill was imposed on 20th July, 1966; in what industries these were from; how many workers are involved; how many increases have been granted; what rate of increase has been granted; and what is the annual cost.
§ Mr. HattersleyNinety-six major claims have been made on behalf of about nine million workers in a wide range of industries and services, the largest numbers being in engineering, construction, distribution, agriculture and coalmining. Thirty-six of these covering rather more than two and a half million workers, have so far resulted in settlements accepted by the Government and the average increase on minimum rates is 5.6 per cent. It is not possible to make an accurate estimate of the annual cost.