HC Deb 16 July 1973 vol 860 cc38-9W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage change over a year previously in national average earnings (or average hourly wage rates), profit returns as recorded by Exchange Telegraph, and the retail price index, respectively, for each month since January 1960.

Mr. Nott

Information on average hourly wage rates is given in the table below. The information on profits compiled by Exchange Telegraph is not readily available from published sources and could be obtained for the period from 1960 only at disproportionate cost. The information would relate to profits in annual accounting periods, ending on a variety of dates, for which accounts are received each month. The second table below shows information derived from

INDEX OF BASIC HOURLY RATES OF WAGES OF MANUAL WORKERS PERCENTAGE INCREASES OVER SAME MONTH OF PREVIOUS YEAR ALL INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES—ALL WORKERS
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
January … … 2.0 7.6 4.0 4.5 4.7 5.3 7.6 3.6 7.7 5.4 6.4 14.8 11.9 13.3
February … … 2.0 7.5 4.1 4.4 4.7 5.2 7.8 3.5 7.9 5.3 7.5 13.4 11 .9 13.7
March … … 3.4 6.2 4.3 4.1 4.8 5.5 8.4 2.7 7.8 5.3 8.2 12.8 12.1 13.8
April … … 4.0 5.9 4.9 3.9 4.6 5.6 8.1 2.6 7.8 5.2 8.5 13.0 12.2 15.9
May … … 4.3 6.1 4.6 3.9 4.8 5.6 7.6 3.1 7.3 5.2 9.6 13.3 11.9 15.3
June … … 4.4 6.6 4.2 3.8 5.3 5.8 7.3 2.7 7.3 5.4 10.1 13.6 12.6
July … … 4.4 6.4 5.0 3.2 5.5 6.9 6.4 4.1 5.9 5.3 10.4 13.6 12.2
August … … 4.7 6.1 5.1 3.0 5.7 7.0 6.2 4.3 5.9 5.3 11.2 13.2 15.4
September … … 5.1 5.8 5.0 3.0 5.7 6.9 6.0 4.9 5.8 5.6 11.3 13.0 18.5
October … … 5.3 6.6 4.1 3.0 5.8 7.4 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.5 11.9 12.6 19.0
November … … 5.6 6.2 4.7 3.3 5.4 7.5 4.8 5.9 6.0 5.3 13.9 12.7 16.4
December … … 6.6 5.2 4.8 4.5 4.9 6.9 4.5 6.2 7.3 5.9 13.8 12.6 14.5
GROSS TRADING PROFITS OF COMPANIES ANNUAL TOTAL TO END OF PERIOD PERCENTAGE CHANGE ON A YEAR PREVIOUSLY
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
Quarter 1 … … +19 +5 −4 0 +23 +6 +2 −6 +8 +4 0 +5 +13 +18
Quarter 2 … … +19 +1 −5 +6 +21 +4 0 −3 +7 +4 0 +8 +12
Quarter 3 … … +18 −2 −4 +10 +17 +4 −2 −3 +12 −1 +2 +12 +10
Quarter 4 … … +13 −3 −1 +14 +11 +4 −6 +6 +7 −2 +4 +13 +12