§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Labour if he proposes to freeze for six months the implementation of the seven per cent. salary increase recently concluded for 250,000 local government staff workers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CrossmanI have been asked to reply. I presume the hon. Member refers 29W to the agreement for administrative, professional, technical and clerical staffs of local authorities, which was due to take effect of 1st August.
Paragraph 21 of the White Paper (Cmnd. 3073) published last Friday applies to this agreement, the operative date of which should accordingly be deferred by six months.