§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he is aware that since July. 1967. industrial civil servants have received a cumulative increase in their basic pay of 32½ per cent.; why the figures as from 1965 are not available; and, as Permanent secretaries have, between July, 1969, and January, 1971, been awarded 53.1 per cent. and deputy secretaries 37.9 per cent. increases, if he will ensure that, when the industrial civil servants' wages are reviewed from 1st July, 1971, they receive a 31.6 per cent. increase to give them the same increase since July, 1969 as that paid to these higher-paid civil servants.
§ Mr. David HowellThe cumulative figure of 32½ per cent. quoted by the hon. Member as the increase in the basic pay of industrial civil servants since July, 1967 accords with the figures I gave him in my reply on 15th January. Comparable figures for 1965 and 1966 are not available because of the alteration in the structure of industrial civil service pay in 1967, following Report No. 18 of the National Board for Prices and Incomes.
The answer to the last part of the Question is, 'No."