HC Deb 11 June 1979 vol 968 cc81-2W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, at current United Kingdom wage rates, what length of time would be required to earn one gallon of petrol priced at £1 a gallon; and if he will give Community comparison based on local wage rates prevailing in the EEC.

Mr. Jim Lester

February 1979 is the latest date for which the necessary information is available. At that date the time required for a married man, with two children aged under 11, to earn £1 after statutory deductions, was 33 minutes. The calculation assumes the man to be in receipt of child benefit and to have gross earnings and hours of work equal to the average for all full-time manual and non-manual men in Great Britain.

Comparable information for other EEC countries is not available. The latest EEC figures relate to gross earnings in April 1978.