HC Deb 12 March 1979 vol 964 c68W
Mr. Lawrence

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the sum total of increased payments to all workers in the public sector which would be necessary to bring their basic wage into line with increases in the cost of living since February 1974.

Mr. Joel Barnert

There is no single basic wage in the public sector and it is not, therefore, possible to do the calculation. The change in the retail price index from February 1974 to December 1978 was 100.8 per cent. The increase in average earnings over the same period was 109 per cent. but there has also been some change in the incidence of personal taxation.