§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Paymaster General if he will list the extent to which levels of pay have risen in manufacturing industry in the west midlands each year since 1981; and if he will list the number of people on short-time working contracts in December of each year during the same period and the number of hours of overtime worked per week in the same month.
§ Mr. LangThe available information is as follows:
Average gross weekly earnings of full time adult employees in manufacturing* in the West Midlands Percentage increase April 1981 to April 1982 †9.5 April 1982 to April 1983 †7.5 April 1983 to April 1984 ‡10.0 April 1984 to April 1985 ‡8.3 Source: New Earnings Survey.
Notes:
* Orders III to XXIX of 1968 Standard Industrial Classification for 1981 to 1982 and Divisions 2 to 4 of 1980 Standard Industrial Classification for other years.
† Based on males aged 21 and over and females aged 18 and over.
‡ Based on males and females on adult rates.
Operatives* in manufacturing industry in West Midlands Thousands Number stood off for whole or part of week Hours of overtime worked September†: 1981 48.8 1,089.3 1982 31.2 1,094.8 1983 7.7 1,418.0 1984 7.1 1,518.4 1985 4.8 1,596.8 * All employees other than managers, works' foremen, administrative, professional, scientific, technical, clerical and sales employees. Comparable figures for employees other than operatives are not available.
† Figures for December are not available.