§ 69. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what, for any convenient stated period, was the total number of cases investigated by her Department where income increases have been paid in excess of the Government's 3½ norm; how many of these cases involved company directors; and whether, in view of the new agreement for British European Airways supervisory, engineering and technical 333W staffs of increases from 21 per cent. to over 30 per cent., she will abandon the prices and incomes policy.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerSince the introduction of the ceiling of 3½ per cent. a year in March, 1968, sixty-four pay settlements affecting 10,000 or more workers have been above this figure. Information about smaller settlements is not readily available. There have been seven cases involving increases of more than 31 per cent. to company directors. The B.E.A. and B.O.A.C. settlement, to which my hon. Friend refers, is a productivity agreement. Spread over a period of three years, it will increase average earnings by about 20 per cent. and at the same time yield substantial net savings to the corporations. It is a major purpose of incomes policy to encourage sound productivity agreements.