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Mr. Steen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.
Mr. Neil Hamilton [holding answer 16 March 1994] : The number of statutory instruments made by the Department in the past three years was as follows :
|Number --------------------- 1991 |151 1992 |104 1993 |86
Mr. Ingram : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the redundancy arrangements applicable to staff employed at the National Engineering Laboratory and Warren Spring Laboratory.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 16 March 1994] : The handling of staff surpluses arising in the Department of Trade and Industry, including its agencies, is covered by the departmental redundancy agreement. Copies of the current agreement have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Compensation payments are set out in the principal civil service pension scheme section of the civil service pay and conditions code.
Dame Peggy Fenner : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to table legislation which will implement the units of measurement directive ; and what time has been allowed for the industries affected to make the necessary plans for compliance.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 2 March 1994] : It is the Government's intention that before the summer recess a complete set of implementing measures will be laid in Parliament. Discussions are continuing with trade associations about plans for compliance.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to visit Meirionnydd Nant Conwy.
Mr. Redwood : I plan to visit Meirionnydd Nant Conwy again later this year.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many female (a) chief executives and (b) chief officers there are in (i) local government service and (ii) the NHS in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : According to the 1993 "Chief Executive/Chief Officers Salaries and Numbers Survey", conducted by the Local Government Management Board, among the 41 Welsh authorities, out of 45 which responded, there were no female chief executives and 20 female chief officers in post on 1 April 1993.
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None of the general managers of health authorities and family health service authorities is female. One of the NHS trust chief executives currently in post is female and two of the NHS trust chief executive-designates, for NHS trusts which become operational on 1 April 1994, are female. Chief officers may be defined in different ways within the NHS and consistent information is not, therefore, available centrally.Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the environmental initiatives he has taken on green matters within his Department further to chapter eight of the annual report and departmental expenditure plans 1994-95 to 1996-97, Cm 2515, on environmental services provided by his Department.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Relevant information is given in chapter 10 on page 117 of the departmental report, Cm 2515. Further details will be provided in the third annual report on follow-up to the 1990 Environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance", which the Government will be publishing shortly.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evidence he has of a correlation between levels of PM10 particulates in the air and hospital admissions in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : A study conducted in Birmingham of the period 1988 to 1990 and published earlier this year has shown that levels of particulates measured as British standard black smoke are a significant predictor of hospital admissions for asthma and all other acute respiratory disorders.
The Department of Health is currently funding a study into the health effects of the London air pollution episode in December 1991. This research will provide useful background into the relationship between hospital admissions and levels of air pollutants.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the Committee on Medical Effects report into the health threat posed by PM10 particulates in the air in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution has not yet reported on the adverse health effects of PM10 particulates in the air. The Government are seeking definitive advice on this issue and the Committee have set up a sub-group to assess the latest evidence on the health effects of all particulate matter. Levels of PM10s are monitored continuously at the Government's air monitoring network site in Cardiff. When the advice from the committee becomes available we shall be better able to assess the possible health effects of particulates in the air in Wales.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by month for the last 12 months, the number of working hours he has spent in the Principality.
Mr. Redwood : In the 10 months to the end of March, I will have spent 67 working days in Wales on government
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and political business. My duties for Wales require me to be in London on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Cabinet Committees and Cabinet. On most Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays I am required to be in London for parliamentary business in the evening.Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the gross consumption of electricity in Wales in 1993.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Information for 1993 is not yet available. Estimated total sales of electricity in Wales were 16,363 GW/H in 1992.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the reason for the projected reduction between 1993-94 and 1994-95 in housing expenditure in Wales as set out at figure 7.01 in his annual report and expenditure plans for 1994-95 to 1996-97, Cm 2515. million over 1993-94 plans and £32.9 million over 1993-94 forecast outturn. The table does not include private sector contributions to the Housing for Wales programme. These, together with transfers from local authorities, are expected to take total housing association capital spending to some £200 million in both 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the implications for the operation of his Department of the code of practice on open government.
Mr. Redwood : The code of practice on open government will reinforce and build on my Department's existing arrangements for the provision of information. Operational details will be made public in due course.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he received the latest consultants report on the environmental and health consequences of the Rechem incineration plant at Pontypool, commissioned by his Department ; how many copies of the report have been printed ; to whom they have been made available ; and if he will make a statement on its conclusions.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The latest report on further monitoring of PCB levels around the Rechem plant in Pontypool was published on 10 March. Eighty copies were printed and distribution included the four local MPs ; the chairman of the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs ; the European Commission ; Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution ; the Health and Safety Executive ; Rechem ; Torfaen borough council and other local interests. Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State indicated in his recent letter to the hon. Member, the report generally confirms results obtained in the main study. The area of higher concentrations of PCBs and dioxins previously
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identified near the Rechem plant has also been narrowed down to a strip of land about 200 m wide to the east of the plant.Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of female school leavers left school with five or more GCSE's at grades A to C in Mid Glamorgan in the latest year for which figures are available.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information is given in table 9.11 of "Statistics of Education and Training in Wales : Schools" No. 2, 1994, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of third and fourth year children in Mid Glamorgan are in maintained sector education.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The proportion of national curriculum year three and four pupils in maintained sector education in Mid Glamorgan at January 1993 was 99.2 per cent.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to this answer to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) of 3 March, Official Report, column 792, if he will publish in the Official Report the notes on order 24 in the Supreme Court Practice concerning public interest immunity.
The Attorney-General : No. It would not be appropriate to publish in the Official Report lengthy extracts from published works which are widely available. I have, however, placed a photocopy of the relevant pages of the Supreme Court Practice in the Library for ease of reference--deposited paper No. 10250.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Attorney-General in what circumstances the actual documents to which Ministers have stated that public interest immunity should apply are not themselves made available to the judge.
The Attorney-General : The court will decide, having regard to relevant case law, whether to inspect documents which are the subject of a claim for public interest immunity, and will always do so in a criminal case.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the recent public statements by law officers concerning Crown privilege and public interest immunity.
The Attorney-General : I have no such list, but I refer to my answers to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) : 15 December 1993, Official Report, column 640
20 January 1994, Official Report, column 726
3 February 1994, Official Report, column 833
3 March 1994, Official Report, column 792
15 March 1994, Official Report, column 576
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Mr. Fraser : To ask the Attorney-General when he proposes to revise his guidelines on disclosure.
The Attorney-General : The recommendations of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice relating to prosecution disclosure are at present being considered. The Government stated in their interim response to the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice that they intend to produce a package of measures which would then be the subject of legislation at the earliest available opportunity.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the implications for Government Ministers of Lord Justice Bingham's judgment in Makanjuola v. Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis ; and if he will publish in the Official Report the relevant paragraphs of the judgment.
The Attorney-General : The judgment is relevant to my evidence to Lord Justice Scott on 24 March. It is published at page 617 vol. 3 of the "All England Law Reports" for 1992 which is in the Library.
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Attorney-General how many charges have been reduced by the Crown Prosecution Service following the defendant's electing for trial by jury for the latest period of 12 months for which figures are available.
The Attorney-General : This information is not available and cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the occupation by Indonesia of East Timor in 1975.
Mr. Goodlad : The invasion of East Timor in 1975 was condemned, with our support, in Security Council resolutions at the time. We have not recognised Indonesia's annexation of the territory. We are encouraging Indonesia and Portugal to continue to work together, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, to find a solution to East Timor.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to promote a motion critical of Indonesia's human rights record at the current session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Mr. Goodlad : The British delegation to this year's session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights worked hard to secure agreements between Portugal and Indonesia on the consensus statement on East Timor.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received recently from the Indonesian Government.
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Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has recently taken to encourage the Indonesian Government to comply with its human rights obligations.
Mr. Goodlad : The Indonesian Government are well aware of our views. Most recently, we supported efforts at this year's session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to secure a consensus statement on East Timor which encourages Indonesia to live up to its human rights obligations.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the total number of civilian casualties sustained in East Timor for each year since 1979 and in total ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : There is no reliable and independent source for information on this matter.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present situation in Cuba.
Mr. Goodlad : Cuba is one of the few remaining communist countries. Some economic reforms have been introduced to counter recent sharp economic decline. But there have been no significant reforms leading to political pluralism. Human rights continue to give cause for concern.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department (a) the total number of persons employed and (b) the percentage of this figure that are women.
Mr. Goodlad : Using the latest available figures, the number of persons and the percentage of women employed in each grade in this Department, including agencies, is :
|Total number|Percentage |of persons |of women |employed |employed ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Open structure Grade 2 |1 |- Grade 3 |4 |25 Grade 4 |1 |- Grade 5 |67 |16 Grade 6 |102 |8 Grade 7 |353.5 |16 Occupational groups Senior executive officer |95 |24 Higher executive officer (D) |3 |- Higher executive officer |247.5 |34 Executive officer |444 |45 Administrative officer |722.5 |60 Administrative assistant |118.5 |44 Senior economic assistant |2 |- Economic assistant |1 |- Senior information officer |11 |55 Information officer |31 |65 Assistant information officer |10 |50 Senior librarian |3 |100 Librarian |6 |100 Assistant librarian |18 |72 Museum curatorial Grade D |2 |100 Museum curatorial Grade E |1 |100 Museum curatorial Grade F |2 |- Senior P and T officer |45 |4 Higher P and T officer |49 |2 P and T officer |19 |- Technical Grade 1 |8 |- Higher mapping and charting officer |1 |- Mapping and charting officer |1 |- Mapping and charting tech Grade 1 |1 |100 Typing manager |10 |100 Personal secretary |150 |100 Typist |82 |99 Senior scientific officer |81 |21 Higher scientific officer |62 |37 Scientific officer |35 |37 Assistant scientific officer |22 |59 Catering manager 1 |1 |- Catering manager 2 |1 |- Catering manager 3 |3 |33 Higher photographic officer |1 |- Photographic officer |1 |- Higher graphics officer |1 |100 Graphics officer |1 |100 Dep Reg Vet officer |2 |- Agricultural officer 1 |18 |- Agricultural officer 2 |5 |- P and GS Grade B |3 |- P and GS Grade C |5 |- P and GS Grade D |9 |- P and GS Grade E |11 |- Stores officer Grade B |1 |- Stores officer Grade C |2 |50 Stores officer Grade D |5 |- Support manager 1 |4 |- Support manager 2 |9 |67 Support manager 3 |45 |44 Support grade band 1 |222 |36 Support grade band 2 |271 |45 Senior TTO |18 |- Higher TTO |70 |1 TTO |102 |1 Assistant TTO |95 |4 Communications Officer IV |1 |100 Industrial grades |55 |38 Departmental groups Senior grade |135 |4 Diplomatic service grade 4 |268 |4 Diplomatic service grade 5 |428 |13 Diplomatic service grade 6 |260.5 |12 Diplomatic service grade 7M |424 |22 Diplomatic service grade 7D |112 |33 Diplomatic service grade 8 |57 |16 Diplomatic service grade 9 |784 |51 Diplomatic service grade 10 |446 |41 Legal adviser |1 |- Second legal adviser |1 |- Deputy legal adviser |2 |- Legal counsellor |7 |43 Senior assistant legal adviser |9 |33 Assistant legal adviser |4 |50 Research counsellor |3 |- Senior principal research officer |14 |29 Principal research officer |28 |46 Senior research officer |32 |28 Research officer |1 |- Diplomatic service grade 8C |14 |- Diplomatic service grade 9C |7 |- Diplomatic service grade 5T |1 |- Diplomatic service grade 6T |1 |- Diplomatic service grade 7T |20 |- Diplomatic service grade 8T |45 |2 Diplomatic service grade 9T |15 |- Secretary 1 |106 |100 Secretary 2 |441 |100 Secretary 3 |7.5 |87 Chief overseas security officer |41 |- Overseas security officer |146 |1 Nurse |4 |100 Doctor |5 |20 Senior lecturer |10 |70 Senior field investigating officer |1 |- Field investigating officer 2 |16 |19 Translator 1 |1 |- Translator 2 |5.5 |82 Translator 3 |2 |50 Chief cypher superintendent |3 |- Cypher superintendent |12 |- Cypher supervisor |31 |- Telecommunications and cypher officer |103 |6 Operator technician |1 |- Queen's messenger |27 |- Queen's messenger escort |4 |-
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in employment in United Kingdom manufacturing in absolute and percentage terms since the United Kingdom joined the EC ; and what is the corresponding figure for other industrial countries.
Miss Widdecombe : Comparable information for all G7 countries is only available for the production and construction industries combined, of which manufacturing is the largest component. Changes since June 1973 are shown in the following table. The shift from manufacturing towards services is a trend shared by all western industrial nations. Nonetheless, the output of United Kingdom manufacturing industry increased by 1.5 per cent. between 1973 and 1993. This reflects a substantial improvement in productivity, up by 77.4 per cent. over the same period.
Changes in civilian employment in production and construction industries in the major 7 nations (G7) between June 1973 and September 1993<1> (Thousands) |Absolute |Percentage |Change |Change ---------------------------------------------------------- Canada |+204 |+8 United States of America |+1,071 |+4 Japan |+2,797 |+14 France |-2,675 |-32 West Germany |-2,005 |-16 Italy |-715 |-10 United Kingdom<2> |-4,121 |-39 Source: OECD, except United Kingdom (Employment Department). <1> Latest available data. <2> Figures exclude participants in work related Government training programmes (for which separate industry estimates are not available).
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in banking, insurance and finance in the Yorkshire and Humberside
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region in the last quarter for which figures are available ; and if he will give the equivalent quarter figures for 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992.Miss Widdecombe : The available information is given in the following table :
Numbers employed in Yorkshire and Humberside in banking, finance, insurance and their auxiliary activities ( including employees and self-employed only) Thousands Quarter |Employees and |self-employed ------------------------------------------ Spring 1989 |57 Spring 1990 |64 Spring 1991 |70 Spring 1992 |79 Summer 1992 |78 Spring 1993 |79 Summer 1993 |77 Source: Labour Force Survey (not seasonally adjusted).
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Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been spent by (a) his Department and (b) the European Community on training (i) unemployed youths aged 16 to 18 years, (ii) 18 to 24-year- olds and (iii) the long-term unemployed in the Doncaster area ; how many such trainees subsequently found employment ; and which organisations were so financed to (1) commission and (2) conduct the programmes in each of the last four years.
Miss Widdecombe : The answer is as follows :
(a) Employment Department :
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Barnsley and Doncaster Training and Enterprise Council Funding |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 to 30 |January 1994 |£ |£ |£ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Careership (youth training) |13,349,000 |10,632,000 |12,834,000 Adult training |7,448,000 |7,778,000 |7,026,500
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Trainees finding employment |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 to 30 |January 1994 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 to 18 years |n/a |1,537 |1,134 18 to 24 years |n/a |293 |217 Long-term unemployed |1,136 |1,185 |1,099
The Barnsley and Doncaster Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) were financed by the Government to commission these programmes and sub-contract them to local providers in the Barnsley and Doncaster area ; information on the Doncaster area alone is not available. (b) The European Community, through the European Social Fund (ESF) provides support, on a national and regional basis, for unemployed young people aged under 25 years and for long-term unemployed adults aged 25 and over. Details of ESF support for unemployed people in the age ranges 16 to 18 and 18 to 24 and for the long- term unemployed in any specific locality, and information on organisations financed to commission and conduct programmes, are confidential to TECs and local authorities.
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what follow- up survey has been conducted by his Department of people who have participated in training courses supported by the European social fund ; what are the latest results regarding outcome available broken down by sector and region, and separately for male and female, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Follow-up surveys cover all leavers from training for work and youth training programmes, which are supported by the European social fund. Results from these surveys are published monthly in the Employment Gazette. To complement these arrangements, in June 1993 the Department implemented a
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follow-up system for people participating in ESF courses run by the non-government sectors. Results will be produced annually and we expect the first analysis of 1993 data towards the end of this year.Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the number of accidents on youth training broken down by fatal, major and minor for the latest available three-month period, shown by region ; and how many youth training providers had contracts terminated (a) in that period and (b) in the three preceding months for reasons of inadequate health and safety.
Miss Widdecombe : Table A gives the latest available youth training accident figures for the quarter October--December 1993.
Region |Fatal |Major |Minor ------------------------------------------------------------- South East |0 |3 |17 London |0 |4 |15 Eastern |0 |7 |18 South West |0 |9 |29 West Midlands |0 |8 |32 East Midlands |0 |4 |26 Yorkshire and Humberside |0 |9 |69 North West |0 |6 |69 Northern |0 |2 |9 Scottish Enterprise |0 |4 |35 Highlands and Islands Enterprise |1 |0 |1 Welsh Office |0 |2 |15 |--- |--- |--- National total |1 |58 |335 Notes: (a) Employment Department (ED) figures for YT trainees have been compiled on a similar basis to those for employees by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, the ED's figures also include a number of accidents to trainees in educational establishments, and road traffic accidents, which would not have been reportable to HSE for employees. (b) Major and minor injuries are classified according to the severity criteria laid down in the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 ( RIDDOR).
Information on YT provider contracts terminated by training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies for reasons of inadequate health and safety is not held centrally.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the male rate of unemployment in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) the USA and (e) Japan for each year since 1979 ; and if he will indicate the reasons for changes.
Miss Widdecombe : International comparable unemployment rates for males are available from 1987 and can be found in "Eurostatistics", which is published by the Statistical Office of the European Community and is available in the Library. Changes in unemployment rates are due to many factors which vary in their effect from country to country, one of which is the particular point reached in a country's economic cycle. The latest monthly figures from the SOEC indicate that the United Kingdom is the only country from the European Community, Japan and the USA where the rate of male unemployment is falling.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rate of unemployment among men in December 1993 in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) Italy and (d) France.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is given in the following table. No figures are available for the unified Germany.
Internationally comparable ILO unemployment rates for men (December 1993 seasonally adjusted) |Per cent. ----------------------------------- United Kingdom |11.9 Italy |7.9 France |9.5 Source: Statistical Office of the European Community (SOEC) monthly Unemployment Bulletin.
The United Kingdom is the only European Community country where the rate of male unemployment has fallen over the year to December 1993.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were placed in employment by jobcentres in the Doncaster area in each month since April 1992 ; and what percentage of the unemployed in the Doncaster area this represents.
Miss Widdecombe : Information on jobcentre placings can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library. Employment information below regional level is only available from the census of employment for 1991.
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During 1993 jobcentres in the Doncaster area placed over 400 people into employment each month.Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees earned between 0 and 10 per cent. below, and between 0 and 10 per cent. above the national insurance lower earnings limit.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is estimated that in an average week approximately 220,000 employees earn between 0 and 10 per cent. below the national insurance lower earnings limit and approximately 190,000 employees earn between 0 and 10 per cent. above the LEL.
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) men and (b) women currently earn less than the national insurance lower earnings limit.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Preston (Mrs. Wise) on 9 February 1994, Official Report, column 292.
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what hours are worked per week on average by employees earning less than the national insurance lower earnings limit.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is estimated that in April 1993 employees earning below the national insurance lower earnings limit worked an average of 11.6 hours a week.
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the average weekly earnings of employees earning less than the national insurance lower earnings limit.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is estimated that the average gross weekly earnings of employees earning lessthan the national insurance lower earnings limit is approximately £24.
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