HC Deb 04 May 1970 vol 801 cc42-3W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many industries in Scotland now pay wages above the United Kingdom national average; if she will list each industry; and if she will list the average earnings as compared with the United Kingdom figures.

Mr. Dell:

As average weekly earnings are affected by the number of hours worked, figures of average hourly earnings have been used in the reply.

At October, 1969, the latest date for which information is available, there were 42 industries out of a total of 128 covered by the regular inquiry into the earnings of manual workers in which average hourly earnings of men manual workers, 21 years and over, were higher in Scotland than in the United Kingdom as a whole.

In 10 of these industries the number of establishments in Scotland was small and figures of average earnings cannot be published without infringing confidentiality. The following table sets out the details for the remaining 32 industries:

Average Hourly Earnings October 1969
Industry Scotland United Kingdom
s. d. s. d.
Chalk, clay, and gravel extraction 9 9.1 9 8.1
Sugar 11 9.5 11 2.0
Brewing and malting 10 9.9 10 8.6
Other drink industries 10 4.8 9 11.7
Tobacco 13 9.8 12 6.1
Chemicals and dyes 11 11.2 11 5.3
Light metals 12 0.5 11 11.4
Agricultural machinery (except tractors) 12 2.3 10 2.2
Contractors' plant and quarrying machinery 14 0.0 11 9.3
Mechanical handling equipment 10 10.5 10 9.1
Office machinery 11 10.5 11 2.4
Other machinery 10 11.8 10 8.5
Industrial plant and steelwork 11 6.6 11 1.7
Other mechanical engineering n.e.s. 12 7.7 11 3.2
Watches and clocks 11 10.2 11 4.4
Radio and other electronic apparatus 11 6.6 10 7.3
Shipbuilding 11 8.0 11 7.9
Men's and boys' tailored outerwear 9 8.5 9 7.3
Dresses, lingerie, infants' wear, etc. 10 0.7 9 10.5
Dress industries n.e.s. 10 2.7 9 0.2
Footwear 12 1.9 11 1.4
Wooden containers and baskets 11 2.4 10 0.3
Manufactures of paper and board n.e.s. 10 2.6 10 1.8
Rubber 12 1.2 11 11.0
Toys, games and sports equipment 10 5.2 10 3.5
Construction 10 3.3 10 1.6
Electricity 10 8.7 10 7.1
Water supply 9 2.4 9 1.3
Road passenger transport 9 5.4 9 3.1
Motor repairers, distributors, garages, etc. 10 2.8 9 8.0
Repair of boots and shoes 8 9.4 8 7.7
National government service 8 9.4 8 2.8

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