HC Deb 16 July 1970 vol 803 c241W
Mr. Lipton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what preference is given by employment exchanges to exporting companies in meeting their staff recruitment needs.

Mr. Dudley Smith

Special arrangements operate in consultation with production departments to ensure that the services of my Department are made readily available to those firms whose exporting or other activities are of major economic importance. In helping to meet staff requirements for such firms, however, employment exchanges cannot compel workers to accept particular jobs. The individual is free to decide for himself for which vacancy of those currently available he will apply.

Standard Region Average weekly earnings Average hours worked Average hourly earnings
£

s.

d.

s. d.
South East 26 13 8 46.2 11 6.6
East Anglia 23 9 2 46.5 10 1.2
South Western 24 9 3 45.9 10 8.0
West Midlands 27 0 11 44.6 12 1.7
East Midlands 24 8 7 45.5 10 9.0
Yorkshire and Humberside 23 16 4 46.3 10 3.3
North Western 24 14 2 46.1 10 8.8
Northern 25 9 5 45.9 11 1.3
Scotland 24 17 6 45.8 10 10.4
Wales 26 0 11 44.7 11 7.7
Great Britain 25 12 1 45.7 11 2.5

Mr. Merlyn Rees

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if he will publish the average gross annual earnings of men aged between 18 and 64 years and women aged between 18 and 69 years for Great Britain and