HC Deb 25 March 1982 vol 20 cc404-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the earnings of adult male farm workers at the latest available date as a percentage of adult male earnings generally; and what were the comparable figures for April 1950, April 1959 and April 1976.

Mr. Alison

The following table sets out the available information for employees in England and Wales:

Agriculture All industries and services†
Regular full-time hired men aged 20 and over*

(1)

Full-time males aged 21 and overt†

(2)

Full-time manual males aged 21 and over

(3)

All full-time male employees aged 21 and over

(4)

(1) as percentage of (3) (2) as a percentage of (3) (2) as a percentage of (4)
April 1976 50.26 50.1 65.0 71.8 77 77 70
April 1981 97.25 94.4 121.5 140.6 80 78 67
* Figures relate to the quarter beginning in April as recorded by the wages and employment inquiry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and include payments in kind.
† Figures relate to workers covered by orders of the Agricultural Wages Board (England and Wales); they cover the survey period of the New Earnings Survey in April, and include the reckonable value (laid down in the Agricultural Wages Order) of accommodation, meals, etc., provided by the employer.
‡ Unless otherwise indicated, based on the New Earnings Survey.
⋆ Based on production industries, transport and certain service sectors only in the Department of Employment's survey of earnings of manual workers.