asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in earnings or wage rates in the iron and steel industries of the United Kingdom's principal competitors since the fourth quarter of 1976; and how this compares with the United Kingdom.

The latest available information is given in the following table. Similar data are not available for other major competitors. The comparisons shown are not meaningful without reference as appropriate to corresponding movements in exchange rates, productivity or general price or wage inflation in each country.Average gross hourly earnings of manual workers in the iron and steel industry (1): Percentage increase from October 1976 to October 1978.

Belgium	13
France	22
Germany (FR)	11
Italy	34
Japan (2)	10
United Kingdom	23

Sources—Eurostat: social aspcts in the iron and steel industry, rapid information sheet 1—1979; monthly statistics of Japan.Notes (1) Iron and steel industry as defined under the ECSC treaty except for Japan where figures are based on national definitions.(2) Monthly earnings, including salaried employee: increase from fourth quarter 1976 to fourth quarter 1978.

	January 1980 Notified unfilled vacancies		September 1979
	At employment offices	At careers offices	September 1979 Employees in(thousands) employment
South-East	85,439	11,568	8,068*
East Anglia	6,263	584
South-West	11,942	866	1,576
West Midlands	11,849	1,200	2,203
East Midlands	11,208	1,154	1,530
Yorkshire and Humberside	11,033	967	2,004
North-West	14,621	1,324	2,646
North	7,984	306	1,277
Wales	7,323	391	1,016
* Only a combined figure is available for South-East and East Anglia.