HC Deb 19 January 1998 vol 304 cc425-6W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated number of(a) men and (b) women who are earning less than £2.00 per hour in the United Kingdom. [23287]

Mrs. Liddell

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Tom Cox dated 19 January 1998: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as the Director of the Office for National Statistics, to your recent question on earnings. The available information from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), Summer (June 1997–August 1997) is shown below. The LFS provides earnings data for Great Britain and not the United Kingdom and is regarded as the most appropriate source for low pay data. Estimated numbers of men and women earning less than £2 per hour in Great Britain

  • Men 220,000
  • Women 283,000.