Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Incomes (Statistics) – 25 January 1988

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Incomes (Statistics) on 25th January 1988.

Mr. Austin Mitchell To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has on whether increases in wage rates in manufacturing industry have led to inflation; and if he will include in the Official Report a table showing for the period since May 1979 the increase in (a) median earnings of blue collar workers, (b) median earnings of white collar workers, (c) the remuneration of directors of public companies and (d) the earnings of those employed in the financial sector.

Mr. Major [holding answer 22 January 1988]: Wage rates in manufacturing are more likely to be a determinant of manufacturing employment and I would draw the hon. Member’s attention to the Treasury paper “The Relationship between Employment and Wages”, published in January 1985.

On the second part of the question, the hon. Member’s attention has on numerous occasions been drawn to the publications in which such information as is available may be found. In this instance, the New Earnings Survey will provide all information requested except details of remuneration of directors of public companies which are not normally collected by Government.