§ Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Labour to publish a table of figures in HANSARD showing the average earnings of wage earners covered by his Department's return in April, 1946; the men's average wage; the percentage increase in these wage rates for each year since April, 1946, to the latest convenient stated date; and the change in the retail prices for the same period.
§ Sir W. MoncktonAll the available statistics resulting from the half-yearly inquiries on earnings of wage-earners have been published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette. The March, 1953, issue of the Gazette gives the latest available figures, which relate to earnings in October, 1952, in comparison with those at earlier dates from October, 1946, onwards. Inquiries in 1946 were also made in respect of the months of January 177W and July, and the results of these two inquiries were published in the issues of the Gazette for July and October, 1946. As regards retail prices, each month's issue of the Gazette includes a table showing the changes in the Interim Index of Retail Prices month by month since June, 1947. This index was started in June, 1947, and comparable figures in this series are not available for any date in 1946.