§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by how much the manual work force in the gas industry has been reduced since nationalisation, since 1960 and since 1967, respectively.
§ Mr. EmeryThe manual work force as recorded in the annual report of the Gas Council was 108,515 at 31st March 1950. The numbers recorded—on a slightly different definition—at 31st March in 1960, 1967 and 1972 were 87,652, 72,836 and 50,144 respectively.
§ Mr. Duffyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the increase in output per man in the gas industry during the past five years as compared with the other fuel and power industries.
§ Mr. Robert C. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage price increase in each of the last 10 years in the gas industry as compared with the other fuel and power industries.
§ Mr. EmeryBecause there are various ways of measuring and interpreting changes in output per man and in prices in the gas and other fuel and power industries, it would be misleading to quote out of context any one set of comparative figures for the past five or 10 years.
§ Mr. Ernest G. Perryasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what redundancies are expected in the gas industry during the next six months, the next year and the next five years, respectively.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanI understand from the British Gas Corporation that its present estimate is that approximately 1,800 manual workers are likely to become redundant between now and 31st March 1974.