§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the difference between the average weekly cost to the community of supporting an unemployed person, together with his or her dependants on one hand and on the other the average weekly wage of an unskilled labourer, the average weekly 519W wage of all employees and average weekly earnings, respectively.
§ Mr. BoothInformation is not available in the precise form requested, but the following may assist my hon. Friend. I understand that the average weekly amount of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit paid to unemployed claimants is about £20. The average gross weekly earnings in April 1975 in Great Britain of full-time employees whose pay for the New Earnings Survey reference period was not affected by absence were:
Men (aged 21 and over) Women (aged 18 and over) £ £ General labourers (including engineering and shipbuilding). 47.70 Not available All manual occupations 55.70 32.10 All occupations 60.80 37.40 The index of average earnings of employees rose by about 10 per cent. between April and September.