§ 21. Mr. McKayasked the Minister of Labour what was the average wage in 1938; what was the average take-home wage per week after State deductions for National Insurance, Health Service and Income Tax for a single man, a married man, and a married man with one child, respectively, in October, 1938; and what is the percentage increase in purchasing power of the take-home net income of a single man, a married man and a married man with one child, respectively, in October, 1963, compared with 1938, when the rise in the cost of living since then has been taken into account and when Income Tax deductions, and deductions for National Insurance and the Health Service, have been made.
§ Mr. GodberThe average gross weekly earnings of a male wage-earner 109W 21 years and over in October, 1938, were £3 9s. At the same date the net weekly earnings of a single man, a married man and a married man with one child under 11 were £3 6s., £3 7s. 5d. and £3 7s. 5d. respectively. In October, 1963, these were £13 3s. 0d., £14 0s. 11d. and £14 15s. 4d. respectively or rises of 299, 317 and 338 per cent. It is not possible to provide a reliable measure on a comparable basis of the rise in the cost of living since 1938. The consumer price index, which measures changes in the prices of consumers goods and services covering all
AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS OF MANUAL WAGE-EARNERS IN THE 12 MAIN INDUSTRIES COVERED BY THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR ENQUIRIES OCTOBER, 1951 Industry Men 21 and over Youths and Boys Women* 18 and over Girls* 1948 Standard Industrial Classification s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Building 157 5 80 4 80 8 — Other non-electrical engineering 173 11 61 10 91 10 57 7 Local government services 130 5 73 10 77 4 44 1 Tramway and omnibus services† 153 7 70 4 123 8 — Manufacture of motor vehicles and cycles 200 1 74 2 107 2 67 11 Ready-made and wholesale bespoke tailoring 161 0 63 3 86 11 53 7 Shipbuilding and ship repairing 170 0 61 2 85 10 — Printing and publishing, etc. (other than newspapers and periodicals) 189 11 58 11 95 0 51 10 Civil engineering contracting 176 3 84 10 — — Other metal industries not elsewhere specified 175 10 67 10 87 0 59 8 Motor repairers and garages 146 0 55 9 88 0 — Iron and steel melting, rolling, etc. 193 5 81 10 88 7 — All industries covered by enquiry 166 0 69 1 90 1 57 11 110W
OCTOBER, 1963 Industry Men 21 and over Youths and Boys Women 18 and over Girls* 1958 Standard Industrial Classification s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Construction 332 7 152 2 156 4 97 1 Motor vehicle manufacturing 420 7 168 8 213 11 122 5 Local government service 255 2 155 5 174 11 — Metal industries not elsewhere specified 338 10 148 5 164 6 106 9 Motor repairers, garages, etc. 287 8 119 2 161 5 102 2 Other machinery 328 4 134 7 179 6 103 8 Iron and steel manufacture 370 11 171 8 158 8 — Road passenger transport† 308 0 209 6 245 2 — Printing and publishing, etc. (other than newspapers and periodicals) 385 0 149 11 184 3 102 8 Radio and other electronic apparatus 330 5 133 9 171 10 110 8 Woollen and worsted 295 3 145 9 164 8 121 5 Aircraft manufacture and repair 365 8 134 9 179 2 104 11 All industries covered by enquiry 334 11 148 8 168 3 109 2 * Where no figure is given the number covered by the returns was too small to provide a satisfactory basis for the calculation of a general average. † Except London Transport. classes of households, rose by 210 per cent, over this period.
§ 23. Sir C. Osborneasked the Minister of Labour if he will give in column form the dozen main industries used in computing the average industrial earnings in October, 1951, as men 166s., boys 69s. 1d., women 90s. 1d., and girls 57s. 11d., and October, 1963, as men 334s. 11d., boys 148s. 8d., women 168s. 3d., and girls 109s. 2d.; and what was the average in each industry, respectively.
§ Mr. GodberFollowing is the information: