§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of workers whose increases under the current wages policy have been consolidated in the basic rates; and what is his estimate of the number whose increases are regarded as threshold payments only.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe current policy does not allow increases to be consolidated for the purpose of calculating overtime and other premia, and none of the settlements since 1st August 1975 known to my Department includes such a provision. Some 900,000 employees are estimated to have received threshold or cost-of-living increases since 1st August under known settlements current before 11th July 1975, which are required to be offset against the £6.