§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the average earnings of males in open industry for the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe average gross weekly earnings of full-time manual men, aged 21 and over, in the industries and services covered by my Department's regular inquiries in October 1962 to 1971 were:
October 1962 … … … £15.86 October 1963 … … … £16.75 October 1964 … … … £18.11 October 1965 … … … £19.59 October 1966 … … … £20.30 October 1967 … … … £21.38 October 1968 … … … £23.00 October 1969 … … … £24.83 October 1970 … … … £28.05 October 1971 … … … £30.93 The figure for October 1972 will become available in February.