Mr. David Adamsasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the officials of the Sussex Women's Land Army have suggested to the Sussex Wages Committee that the rate for women, already below the rate fixed in several other counties, should be substantially decreased; and whether, as this is a disservice to agriculture and the national effort, he will deprecate such action?
Mr. HudsonI am aware that representations were made by the Sussex Women's Land Army to the Sussex Agricultural Wages Committee to the effect that the particularly high minimum wage rate fixed in that county for women workers of 21 and over working on a weekly basis was proving prejudicial to the employment of these women, and that as a result adjustments have been made by the Agricultural Wages Committee so that the minimum rate for all women workers of 18 and over is now the same, as is the practice in many other counties. The action taken was designed to deal with the difficulty caused by divergencies in women's wage rates throughout the country. Those now fixed in Sussex compare not unfavourably with the wages payable in other counties.