§ 36. Mr. Kenneth Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will now publish the results of the study of the phased introduction of equal pay carried out by her Department together with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress.
§ Mrs. CastleI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16th October to the hon. Member for Wembley, South (Sir R. Russell).—[Vol. 788, c. 1111
§ 37. Mr. Kenneth Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what estimates she has made of the comparative additional cost to industry in a full year of introducing equal pay for equal work and equal pay for work of equal value, respectively ; and approximately how many employees she estimates would be affected in either case.
159W
§ Mrs. CastleI have made no specific estimates of the cost to industry of introducing equal pay for equal work or equal pay for work of equal value. Neither is a precise concept and neither is the basis of the legislation which we intend to introduce. I estimate the cost of introducing equal pay by prohibiting discrimination in pay on grounds of sex in defined practical circumstances as an increase of 3–4 per cent. of the national wage and salary bill by 1975. The results of the survey into the costs of equal pay in selected industries will be published as soon as possible.