§ Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) by how much the average earnings of farm workers have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;
(2) by how much the average earnings of workers in the motor car industry have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;
(3) by how much the average earnings of railwaymen have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;
(4) by how much the average earnings of coal miners have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;
(5) by how much the average earnings of workers in the electricity industry have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage;
(6) by how much the average earnings of workers in the gas industry have increased since June 1970 expressed as a percentage.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThe information available is set out below. The percentage increases for different industries are of course affected by the incidence of the dates of wage rate increases.
Full time adult male manual workers. Percentage increase in average weekly earnings, October 1970 to October 1972 Agriculture—GB* 24.2 Motor vehicle manufacturing—UK† 30.3 Railways—GB‡ — Coalmining—GB§ 36.4 Electricity Supply—UK 40.8 Gas Supply—UK 26.3 Note: The information for motor vehicle manufacturing, electricity supply and gas supply is obtained from the Department of Employment's regular October inquiries into the earnings and hours of manual workers. That for agriculture is compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland; and that for railways and coalmining by the appropriate authorities. *Based on the movement of average earnings between "April-September 1970" and "April-September 1972". † Minimum List Heading 381 of the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification. ‡Details for October 1972 are not yet available. §Based on earnings figures which include payments for holidays and rest days but which exclude the value of allowances in kind.