§ 38. Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Minister of Labour whether he is in a position to give any further information as to the way in which the Government hope to apply the principles of the Whitley Report to the Post Office or other Government Departments?
§ Mr. G. ROBERTSThis answer was given yesterday in the OFFICIAL REPORT, but I will repeat it:
National Joint Industrial Councils have been established and have held one or more full council meetings in the following seventeen industries: namely, baking, bedsteads, bobbins, building, chemical trade, china clay, furniture, gold, silver, horological and allied trades, hosiery, leather goods, matches, paint and varnish, pottery, rubber, silk, vehicle building, woollen and worsted (Scottish section). In the case of each of these councils the members are showing considerable eagerness to get to grips with the important reconstruction and other problems which are facing their industries, and very satisfactory progress has already been made in many directions. In four other industries, namely, municipalities (non-trading services), waterworks, sawmilling, and surgical instruments, the dates for the first meeting of these councils have been fixes. Twelve other industries, namely, boot and shoe, cable-making, commercial road transport, electrical contracting, electricity (power and supply), needles and fish-hooks, newspapers, paper-making, printing, roller engraving, tin mining, woollen and worsted, have already established provisional committees to draw up constitutions for joint industrial councils, and the proceedings have reached an advanced stage in many of these, cases. In a number of other industries the Ministry of Labour is giving assistance in setting up councils. The Government have approved a scheme dealing with the application of the Whitley Report to the industrial establishments of the Government, and immediate steps are being taken to place the scheme before the trade unions and Departments concerned. A Sub-committee of the Inter-departmental Committee on the application of the Whitley Report to Government establishments is considering the question of its application to the clerical and administrative classes of the Civil Service. Arrangements have been made for hearing evidence from representatives of Civil 2674 Service Associations, and the first meeting for this purpose will take place on Thursday, 14th November, 1918.
§ Mr. ROWNTREEWill it be possible to see the scheme shortly, and will that suggested for the Post Office be made public?
§ Mr. ROBERTSI will consider that. It is now before the Department and the various parties concerned.