§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 10 July 1998,Official Report, column 669, what assessment he has made of the effect of current headline RPI inflation on wages and salary negotiations. [52548]
§ Mrs. LiddellIt is up to individual companies to negotiate with their workforce over remuneration and the level of inflation should be only one of a number of factors in any individual settlement. The Government have repeatedly stated the importance of pay in the public and private sectors being related to what the economy can afford.