§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in future Bulletins for Industry dealing with wages, hours of work, and earnings, he will ensure that the origin of earnings is given, and that account is taken of enhanced earnings obtained by personal effort, if he will indicate the part that contemporary 192W retiring officer is a married man without dependent children, that retirement takes place on 5th April so that the lump sum is payable in addition to a full year's salary, that there is no other income, and as if the lump sum were taxable as earned income. The rates of tax used are those applicable in 1938–39, 1950–51 and 1960–61 respectively—assuming for 1960–61 that the rates of Surtax will be the same as those for 1959–60.
methods of achieving higher earnings play in bringing about reductions in costs; and why the current Bulletin contains the statement that, as a measure of the pressure on costs, changes in hourly earnings are probably more significant than changes in standard weekly wage rates.
§ Mr. Barber:
I have taken note of the hon. Member's suggestions and will see that they are given consideration if and when further articles on the relevant subjects are being prepared for the Bulletin.
The statement that as a measure of the pressure of costs, changes in hourly earnings are probably more significant than changes in weekly wage rates, was based on the consideration that, particularly in a period when standard hours are changing, the effective cost of a given amount of labour time is likely to move more nearly with hourly earnings than with standard weekly wages.
§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT in tabular form statistics regarding development in each 193W industry and results obtained since 1946, based on the figures given on the last page of the Bulletin for Industry, No. 136, for December, 1960; and if he will add the total increase in wages received per employee for the same period
§ Mr. Barber:
The figures are as follows:
Industry Change in industrial production 1946–1960* Increase in average earnings of manual wage-earners 1946-April, 1960† Construction + 54 150 Mining and quarrying + 7 159 Food + 56 124 Drink and tobacco + 19 146 Coke ovens, oil refineries + 240 147 General chemicals, etc. + 121 Ferrous metals + 80 134 Non-ferrous metals + 60 135 Mechanical engineering + 102 138 Electrical engineering + 127 129 Shipbuilding, marine engineering − 14 116 Vehicles + 166 163 Textiles + 40 141 Leather goods, fur − 5 165 Clothing, footwear + 54 127 Bricks, cement, etc. + 95 151 China, earthenware, etc. + 48 151 Glass + 95 150 Timber, furniture, etc. + 58 142 Paper, printing and publishing + 124 162 Gas, electricity, water + 111 126 * Provisional figures based on incomplete data for 1960. † Based on the periodic inquiries into the average weekly earnings of manual wage-earners. The figures show the increase for all operatives between the average of the three inquiries made in 1946 and that made in April, 1960. The figures for some industries may be affected by changes in the industrial classification between 1946 and 1960.