HC Deb 26 March 1912 vol 36 cc373-5

(1) If within two weeks after the passing of this Act a Joint District Board has not been recognised by the Board of Trade for any district, or if at any time after the passing of this Act any occasion arises for the exercise or performance in any district of any power or duty under this Act by the Joint District Board, and there is no Joint District Board for the district, the Board of Trade may either forthwith or after such interval an may seem to them necessary or expedient, appoint such person as they think fit to act in the place of the Joint District Board, and, while that appointment continues, this Act shall be construed, so far as respects that district, as if the person so appointed were substituted for the Joint District Board.

(2) If the Joint District Board within three weeks after the time at which it has been recognised under this Act for any district fail to perform any duty with respect to the settling of the first minimum rates of wages and district rules in that district, the chairman of the Joint District Board shall perform that duty in place of the Joint District Board, and any minimum rate of wages or district rules settled by him shall have the same effect for the purposes of this Act as if they had been settled by the Joint District Board.

Provided that, if the members of the Joint District Board representing the workmen and the members representing the employers agree, or if the Board of Trade on a report from the chairman of the District Board direct, that a specified period longer than three weeks shall for the purposes of this Sub-section be substituted for three weeks, this Sub-section shall have effect as if that specified period were therein substituted for three weeks.

Mr. BUXTON

I beg to move to insert at the end of Sub-section (1) the words, "the Board of Trade in. any such case where it appears to them that the necessity for the exercise of their powers under this provision arises from the failure of the employers to appoint members to represent employers on a board when the workmen are willing to appoint members to represent workmen, or from the failure of the workmen to appoint members to represent workmen on a board when the employers are willing to appoint members to represent employers, may, if they think fit, instead of appointing a person to act in the place of the Joint District Board, appoint such person as they think fit to represent the employers or the workmen, as the case may be, who have failed to appoint members to represent them; and in that case the members so appointed by the Board of Trade shall be deemed to be members of the Board representing employers or workmen is the case requires."

The object of the Amendment is in case of the appointment of the District Board, either side declining to appoint their representative it can, in these circumstances, be left to the Board of Trade to appoint the members of the committee. It is hoped that neither side would, in any case, decline to send their representatives, and it does not follow that the Board of Trade might necessarily carry out that course, but as a measure of precaution it is thought expedient to take these powers, which I think should never be used.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made:

In Sub-section (2), leave out the words, "perform any duty with respect to the settling of," and insert instead thereof the word "settle."

After the word "district" ["with respect to the settling of the first minimum rates of wages and district rules in that district"], insert the words, "or if the Joint District Board, within three weeks after the expiration of a notice for an application under this Act to vary any minimum rate of wages or district rules fail to deal with the application."

Leave out the words, "perform that duty" ["the chairman of the Joint District Board shall perform that duty"], and insert instead thereof the words, "settle the rates or rules or deal with the application as the case may be."

Leave out the words "the Board of Trade on a report from" ["on a report from the chairman of the District Board"].

Leave out the word "direct" ["or if the Board of Trade on a report from the chairman of the District Board direct"], and insert instead thereof the word "directs."—[Mr. Buxton.]