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30.
Mr. Norman Atkinson
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress he has made in moving towards the 35-hour week throughout British industry.
Mr. Harold Walker
In April 1978, the latest date for which comprehensive figures are available, average weekly normal basic hours for full-time men aged 21 and over were 38·8 and for full-time women aged 18 and over 37·0. The Government have stated in Cmnd. 7293 that they can accept a reduction in hours as part of a normal pay settlement on condition that it is demonstrated that the settlement as a whole does not lead to any increase in unit costs above what would have resulted from a straight guideline settlement on pay.