HC Deb 17 November 1971 vol 826 cc158-60W
Mr. David Clark

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the total number of males employed in Great Britain; and how many have a guaranteed week;

(2) what is the total number of females employed in Great Britain; and how many have a guaranteed week.

Mr. Dudley Smith

The estimated numbers of male and female employees in employment in Great Britain at March, 1971 were 13,579,000 and 8,391,000, respectively, but it is not known how many of these are covered by guaranteed week arrangements. In my reply to the hon. Member on 15th November, I gave a broad estimate of the proportion of manual workers covered by national collective arrangements who had guaranteed weeks, but it is not possible to make similar estimates for males and females separately.

Mr. David Clark

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of persons employed in the engineering industry; and how many have a guaranteed week.

Mr. Dudley Smith

It is provisionally estimated that at September, 1971 the number of employees in employment in Great Britain in the mechanical engineering, instrument engineering and electrical engineering industries (Orders VII, VIII and IX of the Standard Industrial Classification) was 2,122,200. Information about the numbers having a guaranteed week is not available, but it is known that manual workers employed in federated engineering firms are covered by the guaranteed week provisions of the national agreement.

Mr. David Clark

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the total number of males employed in the wool textile industry; and how many have a guaranteed week;

(2) what is the total number employed in the wool textile industry; and how many have a guaranteed week;

(3) what is the total number of females employed in the wool textile industry; and how many have a guaranteed week.

Mr. Dudley Smith

It is provisionally estimated that at September, 1971, the number of employees in employment in Great Britain in the woollen and worsted industry—minimum list heading 414 of the Standard Industrial Classification—was 120,400 of whom 66,100 were males and 54,300 were females.

It is not known how many of these are covered by guaranteed week arrangements, but national agreements in the wool textile industry include guaranteed week provisions in respect of manual workers, irrespective of gender. Information about non-manual workers in the industry is not available.