HC Deb 22 March 1974 vol 870 cc192-3W
Mr. David Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the wages of the lowest decile of adult male and female workers for each year since 1964, and express the total as a percentage of median earnings.

Mr. Booth

Results of the New Earnings Surveys include the following estimates for September in 1968 and April in 1970 to 1973. They exclude part-time workers, youths and boys under 21, girls under 18 and full-time men and women whose pay for the survey reference period was affected by absence. The earnings include overtime pay, bonuses and other additional monetary payments but generally exclude the value of income in kind and gratuities and earnings from subsidiary jobs. Corresponding information for 1964 to 1967 is not available.

London weighting; and if he will take steps to allocate more Pay Board staff to the project to reduce the delay in resolving this matter.

Mr. Booth

I hope to see in the near future a delegation representing both sides of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Services and representatives of the Greater London Council. As I made clear to the House on 18th March the Pay Board has been urged to speed up its investigation into London weighting but it is not possible for it to complete it and report before the middle of the year.