§ Mr. Derek Pageasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the vehicles group in East Anglia receive 84 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(2) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal 205W pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the ship, marine engineering group in East Anglia receive 87 per cent. of the national average pay for this group what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(3) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the paper, painting, group in East Anglia receive 91 per cent of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(4) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the engineering and electrical group in East Anglia receive 91 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(5) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the timber, furniture group in East Anglia receive 92 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(6) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the construction group in East Anglia receive 89 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance.
(7) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the clothing, footwear group in East Anglia receive 93 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
206W(8) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the food, drink, tobacco group in East Anglia receive 93 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(9) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the leather group in East Anglia receive 90 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(10) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the public administration group in East Anglia receive 93 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(11) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and hearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the agriculture group in East Anglia receive 96 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance;
(12) in view of Her Majesty's Government's policy of seeking to achieve equal pay for equal work, and bearing in mind table 37 of the report of the East Anglia Economic Planning Council that employees in the other manufacturing group in East Anglia receive 88 per cent. of the national average pay for this group, what action she plans to take to redress this imbalance.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerMy right hon. Friend expects shortly to resume her discussions with the C.B.I. and T.U.C. with a view to agreeing a timetable for the implementation of equal pay as between men and women over an appropriate period. The precise definition of equal pay is one of the matters to be settled. 207W However, no definition likely to be adopted will eliminate the disparities between earnings in different parts of the country which arise from a wide variety of factors.