§ 47. Mr. G. THORNEasked the Prime Minister, in view of his appeal for peace in industry, whether he proposes to introduce any Bills dealing with profit-sharing and co-partnership, giving statutory powers to joint industrial councils and 1714 similar bodies, encouraging the setting up of works committees in factories and mines, giving fuller publicity to the finances and profits of industries, and stimulating the adoption of supplementary schemes of insurance by industry for unemployment, sickness, old age and death?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs the answer is a long one, I will, with the hon. Member's permisssion, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ While I am anxious to further in every practicable way the promotion of peace in industry, I am not persuaded that Government intervention in the matter of profit-sharing and co-partnership schemes, or Government interference with the establishment by voluntary action of works committees, would be helpful in that direction.
§ As regards the giving of statutory powers to joint industrial councils, there is not sufficient evidence of general agreement on the matter on the part of organisations of employers and of workpeople to warrant action on the lines indicated.
§ The need over the whole field of industry appears to be for voluntary combined effort and initiative much more than for State intervention.
§ As regards the last part of the question, there already exists in the supplementary schemes provided for under Section 20 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, the machinery for progress on the lines suggested. As regards insurance in respect of sickness, old age and death, I am not at all sure that the nature of the risk and the existing and proposed systems of insurance are such as to make separate industrial arrangements appropriate or practicable.