§ Mr. Cledwyn Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what unemployment benefit is paid in St. Helena.
§ Mr. RowlandsNo unemployment benefit as such is paid in St. Helena, but the Government operate a work scheme for those who would otherwise be unemployed. Payments under this scheme are up to£7 per week. This system will be examined once we receive the reports of the economist who has just returned from the island and the Salaries Commissioner who is due there next month.
§ Mr. Cledwyn Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of 232W the increase in the cost of living in St. Helena in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe St. Helena cost of living index shows the following increases since the last base was set:
1971 … … … 100 1972 … … … 112 1973 … … … 131 1974 … … … 160 1975 (April) … … … 192 There is a case for widening the basis on which the index is constructed—e.g. rents, unchanged since 1971, are not included. An economist has recently visited the island, and will be advising the Governor on a restructuring of the index.
§ Mr. Cledwyn Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the scale of wages of male employees in the Government service in St. Helena in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe current scale of wages of all St. Helena Government employees was set following the last salaries review in 1971. There has been no increase in basic wages since then, but two cost of living allowances have been introduced. A further salaries review is to be carried out in September. In view of their length I am arranging for copies of the current wages scales and cost of living allowances to be placed in the Library.