§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report the letter sent by Mr. B. E. Atkins from his Department on 23rd January 1978 to Mr. A. Barton, Secretary of the Environmental Engineering Industry Employment Policy, showing that Mr. Atkins, without reference to the Minister, had disallowed a freely negotiated wage increase; and under what statutory authority Mr. B. E. Atkins was purporting to be acting.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerNo. I regard the text of correspondence relating to individual pay negotiations as a confidential matter with the parties concerned. I reject any inference that an official of my Department was acting without my authority.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment on how many occasions since the introduction of the
Date OMSC ESA TSA Total 1.10.77 … … … … 499 14,777 8,269 23,545 1.10.76 … … … … 306 14,535 7,560 22,401 1.10.75 … … … … 71 13,847 6,500 20,418 The figures include both non-industrial and industrial staff but exclude casual staff. The total annual expenditure on
Financial Year OMSC ESA TSA Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 1977–78 … … … … 4.346 108.264 65.926 178.536 1976–77 … … … … 3.340 94.976 59.668 157.984 1975–76 … … … … .917 70.438 42.368 113.723 The costs shown for 1975–76 and 1976–77 are actual expenditure in those years. The estimate for 1977–78 is based on costs which were in force when the estimate was prepared.