HC Deb 23 May 1946 vol 423 cc528-9
59. Mr. Stubbs

asked the Minister of Labour what progress is being made in the release of industries from the Essential Work Orders.

Mr. Isaacs

On or about the 4th May some 20,000 undertakings in the engineering and motor vehicle repair shops and garages industries ceased to be scheduled under the Orders. On or about the 15th May some 30,000 undertakings in a wide range of industries ceased to be scheduled together with a thousand undertakings which were scheduled as "special cases." It is estimated that about five and a quarter million workers once covered by the Orders have now been withdrawn from their scope. Notice has been given to 27 other industries that they will be withdrawn from the Orders on various dates up to early August. The industries which remain covered by the Orders will be withdrawn as opportunity offers, and preliminary warning has, in fact, already been given to the cotton spinning, railway and shipbuilding and ship repairing, including barge building, trawler fishing, and ball clay industries. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT lists of the industries referred to in this reply.

Mr. Stubbs

How many of the industries released have come to voluntary agreements, and how many, if any, have refused to come to agreements?

Mr. Isaacs

Without notice I could not go into details, but I can say that in a great number of industries negotiations are proceeding on that basis, and that in a great number of them satisfactory results have been secured by agreement between both sides.

Following are the lists: