§ Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he will now give to agricultural employers in the light of the ratification by the Statutory Agricultural Wages Board of its recommendation for a 12 per cent. to 13 per cent. increase in agricultural wages.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe minimum wage rates and other provisions announced by the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales on 8th December 1977 will have statutory effect from 20th January 1978 and employers concerned will need to comply with the new minimum rates except where an Agricultural Wages Committee has granted an exemption permit on the grounds of a worker's disability. Where, as is usually the case, farm workers are paid above the statutory 425W minimum rates pay increases are a matter for negotiation between the individual employers and employees concerned and arc therefore subject to the Government's pay guidelines.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he has lodged an objection to the proposals to increase agricultural workers wages from £39 to £43 a week from 20th January 1978.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe proposals published by the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales on 4th November were estimated to increase earnings of workers on statutory minimum wage rates by about 12½ per cent. In the absence of any explanation by the Board, I entered an objection in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Agricultural
Period Number of journeys Approximate total cost Repayments by the community for travel costs £ £ 1976 … … … … First quarter … 591 274,000 156,000 Second quarter … 640 Third quarter … 417 Fourth quarter … 589 1977 (to 30th September 1977) … First quarter … 636 243,000 153,00 Second quarter … 621 Third quarter … 410 475 other visits were made to EEC countries in 1976 and 317 during the first three quarters of 1977. I regret that without incurring disproportionate cost it is not possible to establish how far these visits were consequent on or connected with United Kingdom membership of the EEC and to separate out the expenditure involved.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants of adult age in his Department are on a wage of £39 to £43 a week; and if he will give a detailed list of their ranks.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe numbers of staff in my Ministry aged 18 years or over who are on a wage of—or an annual salary equivalent to—£39 to £43 a week are listed by grade below:
426W
Assistant Scientific Officer 47 Audio Typist 10 Cartographic Assistant 1 Cleaner 47 Clerical Assistant 362 Clerical Officer 26 Wages Act 1948 on the grounds that the proposals appeared to be inconsistent with Government pay policy.