Pay Settlements

HC Deb 23 November 1979 vol 974 cc361-2W

Mr. Harold Walker

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the current average level of major pay settlements in the private sector;

(2) what arrangements exist for monitoring pay settlements in both the private and public sectors.

Mr. Jim Lester

The Department keeps watch on trends in pay bargaining in both the public and private sectors. But pay

£ million
	Cash limit
	Present	Revised
Total grant-in-aid to the Manpower Services Commission	632.238	620.238
Vote 16, labour market services	111.834	123.834
	744.072	744.072
The reduction in the total grant-in-aid requires consequential reductions to 3 of its components:—
Vote 19 Department of Employment	534.888	524.188
Vote 20, Welsh Office	34.928	34.450
Vote 21, Scottish Economic Planning Department	60.199	59.377

These change make available an additional £12 million for the special temporary

settlements are not monitored in detail. I am therefore unable to give a reliable estimate of the current average level of major pay settlements in the private sector.