§ Mr. DAYasked the Minister of Labour the number of hours overtime worked in his Department for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?
§ Mr. BETTERTONIn the 12 months ended 30th November, 1928, the recorded number of hours overtime worked by officers of the Department was 722,545.
Year. Average Price* of British Wheat per Quarter of 504 lbs. Average Retail† Price of Bread per 4 lbs. Average weekly wages of agricultural labourers (see below). s. d. d. 1878 … … … 48 9 7½ Estimated at approximately 12s. to 14s. per week. 1879 … … … 46 0 7 1880 … … … 46 7 7 1881 … … … 47 7 7 1882 … … … 47 4 7½ 1883 … … … 43 8 7 1923 … … … 44 3 8¾ 28s. 1928 … … … 45 4‡ 9§ 31s. 8d. * Average price in England and Wales, ascertained from returns received under the Corn Returns Act, 1882, and the Corn Sales Act, 1921. † The average prices for the years 1878–83 relate to London only, and for 1923 to the United Kingdom. ‡ During the 49 weeks ending 8th December, 1928. § During the first eleven months of 1928 (from the "Ministry of Labour Gazette"). Definite information is not available as to the average rate of wages of agricultural labour in the earlier years shown in the above table, but the estimate of 12s. to 14s. per week is believed to represent approximately the average earnings of ordinary farm workers in England and Wales. From inquiries made in 1898 the average earnings were calculated to be about 16s. 10d. per week. In 1923 the average rate of wage (excluding extra seasonal earnings) of ordinary agricultural workers was about 28s. per week. The figure of 31s. 3d. shown for the current year represents the average of
2492WThe average staff covered by the figures over the same period was 14,618.