Lord TAYLORasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in view of the relatively low status and remuneration of pro-
Group (including Consequentials) Basic Percentage Pay Increase over 15-month period 1st January 1974 to 1st April 1975 Annual Equivalent Percentage 1. Administration (Middle and Higher) 31.7 25.4 2. Administration (Clerical) 33.2 26.6 3. Professional and Technology 30.3 24.2 4. Telecommunications Grades including Teleprinter Operators 34.9 27.9 5. Secretaries, Typists and Machine Operators 38.5 30.8 6. Support Grades (Messengers, Paper keepers and Cleaners) 37.7 30.2 7. Instructional Officers 39.3 31.4 8 Prison Service Grades* 33.0 26.4 Total (All Grades) 32.5 26.0 * Pay changes for these grades are calculated on an agreed formula taking account of the combined pay research results for a number of pay research grades. This cost for all the pay research grades is built up from the cost of trans-
636WAfessional engineers in British industry, and the consequent poor recruitment to university schools of engineering, they will give serious consideration to the establishment of a committee of inquiry or a Royal Commission on the status and remuneration of professional engineers.
§ Lord MELCHETTSerious consideration is already being given to this problem. Properly qualified and experienced engineers in areas such as production and design are essential for effective industrial performance and competitiveness. It would be premature, however, to establish an inquiry until the present active consideration of this problem within the profession has had a reasonable time to produce a result.