§ 27. Mr. Rileyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why no Members of Parliament have been appointed to serve on the Colonial Labour Advisory Committee, seeing that it is desirable that Members of Parliament should be brought into closer contact with the consideration of problems concerned with the social and economic condition of our colonial fellow citizens.
§ The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Colonel Oliver Stanley)The non-official members of the Colonial Labour Advisory Committee were appointed after consultation with the British Employers' Confederation and the Trades Union Congress. The Committee is therefore composed on the tripartite principle which is the basis of the International Labour Organisation. I see no present need to depart from that principle, particularly since the Committee has the power to co-opt members whenever it needs the advice of persons with special knowledge on a particular subject.
§ Mr. RileyDoes my right hon. and gallant Friend agree that it is very desirable, particularly in connection with a Committee of this kind dealing with wide labour conditions, that Members of Parliament should be associated with the work of this Committee, and why is it that no Member of this House has been appointed?
§ Colonel StanleyThese Committees consist of experts on the particular subject. In trying to get experts in this subject I asked the advice of the T.U.C. who, I thought hon. Members opposite agreed had some experience of labour matters.