§ Mr. John Townendasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage increase in earnings in the United Kingdom during 1979, the percentage increase in earnings in the private sector in the United Kingdom during 1979, the percentage increase in earnings in the public sector during 1979, the effect and the cost of awards by the Clegg Commission during 1979 and the cost in percentage terms on earnings in the public 754W sector of awards by the Clegg Commission in a full year.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe available information is as follows:
- (a) The new index of average earnings—whole economy, Great Britain—increased by 19.6 per cent. between December 1978 and December 1979 (provisional). Excluding special factors, such as the temporary inclusion of retrospective pay and bonus elements, the underlying increase over this period was just under 19 per cent.
- (b) Average gross weekly earnings of full-time adult employees in the public and private sectors, precise estimates of which are available only in respect of April from the new earnings survey, show the following percentage increases between 1978 and 1979:
Men Women Private 14.5 13.4 Public 12.5 10.2 Source: New earnings survey 1979, part A Table 1 (c) The effects of Clegg Commission awards which were paid during 1979—for local authority manual workers, NHS ancillaries, ambulancemen, university manual workers and university technicians are estimated to be as follows:
- —Estimated cost during 1979—first half of award, payable for the 5 months from August—about £73 million.
- —Effect on the increase during 1979 in the whole economy index of average earnings: 0.2 percentage points.
(d) In a full year the Clegg Commission awards made so far—including that for nurses which was not paid in 1979—are expected to increase earnings in the public sector by about 2 per cent.