§ 22. Mr. Penhaligonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number currently employed at a salary level below the minimum for paying national insurance contributions; and how the number compares with five years ago.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyPrecise information is not available. Evidence from the "New Earnings Survey" and other data suggests that in April 1984 about 2.75 million employees had gross weekly earnings below the limit for national insurance purposes. Virtually all of these would be in part-time employment. In 1979 the comparable figure is estimated to have been about 2.25 million.