§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on what basis he calculates that postmen average a £25 3s. 8d. weekly wage; and what is his estimate of the average pay of the lower-paid workers in the manual grades without overtime over a period of 12 months, excluding the Christmas period.
§ Mr. ChatawayThese are matters for the Post Office, which tells me, however, that the figure of £25 3s. 8d. a week was obtained by sampling the earnings of postmen over the whole country. As regards the second part of the Question, I have no information in precisely that form, but it may help the hon. Member to know that the average basic rates of pay—that is, without overtime, allowances or London Weighting—during 1970 were, for postmen £18 a week, and, for telephonists, £15 4s. a week.