§ Mr. Arthur Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Industry whether, in support of the Government's policy of a 4 per cent. wage ceiling, he will also apply this limit to the costs and charges made by the public services to the public.
§ Mr. Brittan:I have been asked to reply.
No: the financial and economic considerations involved are different. In any event, the 4 per cent. pay factor announced on 15 Septemer is a broad measure of what the Government think reasonable and can be afforded as a general allowance for increases in public service pay at the present stage of planning public expenditure: it does not imply that all public service pay increases will or should be 4 per cent.—some may be less and some may be more.