§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost to public funds of supplementary benefit payments to those involved in industrial disputes, and their dependants, respectively, and of payments following return to work, in 1971; what was the cost of these three types of payment, aggregated together, per day lost through industrial disputes during the course of the year; and how each of these figures, respectively, compares with the corresponding figures for the average of all years between 1951 and 1966.
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§ Mr. DeanIn 1971 £3,708 was paid to strikers and £3,878,177 for their dependants during the larger disputes. A further £524,763 was paid after return to work. The cost of these three types of payment per day lost through industrial disputes in 1971 was 32.50 new pence.
Over the years 1951 to 1966 the average cost of payments to strikers was £541 and to their dependants £70,960. The average cost of payments after return to work over the years 1964–66 (earlier figures are not available) was £30,073. The average cost per working day lost through disputes over the years 1951 to 1966 was 2.06 new pence but this does not include payments made after return to work. The average cost, including payments made after return to work (in larger strikes only), over the years 1964 to 1966 was 4.39 new pence per day lost.