§ Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) by how much average industrial earnings have risen since 1st April 1977; and what this represents as an annual rate;
(2) what has been the percentage increase in average industrial earnings for each month since 1st August 1977 expressed at an annual rate.
§ Mr. GoldingFollowing are the percentage increases since the same month a year earlier in the new series index of average earnings for all manufacturing industries for each month from July 1977 to March 1978—the latest date for which figures are available:
1977 July 8.9 August 8.1 September 8.8 October 9.4 November 11.3 December 11.2 1978 January 11.3 February 12.0 March 11.7 The figures relate to all employees, including both males and females, those in full-time and part-time jobs and those in manual and non-manual occupations. Information on the average earnings in April 1978 of particular specific groups of employees will become available when the results of the new earnings survey are published in October.