§ 59. Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the interest aroused by the issue of the Whitley Report on the relations of employers and employed and the importance of having it widely circulated, he will give instructions for copies of this Report to be sent to the libraries of all free libraries and to representative organisations of working men, such as the Workers' Educational Association?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI quite agree with my hon. Friend as to the importance of obtaining as wide a circulation as possible for the Report. The Ministry of Labour has already distributed several thousand copies, and I will certainly consider how far it is possible to adopt his suggestion. I would point out that anyone can procure a copy through a bookseller for Id.
§ Mr. SHERWELLCan my hon. Friend say why a Report of this kind was not circulated in the ordinary way with the Votes?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI should like notice of that question.
§ Mr. WARDLEWhy was it held back from March before being circulated?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe Report was not in the hands of the Labour Ministry to deal with at the date named.
§ 60. Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Prime Minister whether the Whitley Report on the relations of employers and employed is being sent to the heads of Government Departments employing a large amount of labour; and whether they are being requested to consider it and report to the Government on the suggestions contained in the Report in the same way that employers' associations are being re quested to do?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe Report has been circulated to the leading employers' associations and trade unions with a view to ascertaining whether the scheme proposed in it is likely to prove generally acceptable to industry. In the event of the Government being satisfied of this and adopting the scheme, the question of applying it to Government undertakings would obviously have to be considered; but it has not been thought necessary to approach particular Government Departments in the matter until the opinion of the country has been ascertained on the practicability of the scheme proposed.
§ Mr. ROWNTREEDoes the hon. Gentleman not think it would be advisable to approach Government Departments employing a large amount of labour, seeing that employers' associations in the country are being asked to consider the Report?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI think it would be better to await until the general views of industry have been ascertained.
§ Mr. C. DUNCANCan the hon. Gentleman give us any earthly reason why the Government Departments should always be last?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThat is a question which should be addressed to each Department to whom the hon. Member refers.