Clause 31.—(INTERPRETATION.) (Hansard, 24 February 1953)

§ Mr. Simon
I beg to move, in page 24, line 7, to leave out "about," and to insert "as to."
I think I can claim that this is the least momentous Amendment which is likely to be moved to this Bill, for it concerns a very minor point of drafting. Two words are used in adjacent subsections meaning precisely the same thing, and they ought to be the same. I must say that I was filled with a certain amount of trepidation when I put down this Amendment, because I knew that one half of the Committee, conscious of their duty as custodians of the treasure house of our language, would protest forcibly when I ventured to substitute "as to" for "about" and they would claim that it was a linguistic outrage. However, I was buoyed up with the thought that if I did it the other way round and ventured to substitute "about" for "as to," half of the Committee, probably the same half, conscious of their duty as custodians of our literature, would protest equally violently.

§ Mr. Low
I recommend to the Committee that we should accept this minor but excellent Amendment. I am very 1996 glad that we should have been able to accept one of the Amendments moved by my hon. and learned Friend.

§ Mr. Sandys
I beg to move, in page 26, line 6, to leave out from "producers," to the end of line 7, and to insert: of workers employed in the iron and steel industry, of persons using iron and steel products for manufacturing purposes or engaged in the menufacturing of such products, of workers employed in the undertakings of such persons, or of any class of such producers, workers or persons as aforesaid. The Amendment is designed to widen the definition of the phrase "representative organisations" in the series of definitions in the Clause. Its purpose is to widen the area within which the Board will be required to consider consulting industry in regard to their various duties and functions. As the Committee know, in the various Clauses of the Bill there appears the requirement that before taking certain action, the Board shall consult representative organisations. This revised definition sets out the various types of organisation which the Board might in certain circumstances deem it appropriate to consult.
I should like to make it clear that the Board will not be expected to consult all the classes of organisation on all occasions and on all subjects. The decision as to precisely which organisations should be consulted and on which occasions and in regard to which questions, must be left to the discretion of the Board. For example, it would be wholly inappropriate for the Board to consult the engineering industry as consumers in regard to the importation of iron ore. On the other hand, it would be obviously most desirable that the Board should consult them in regard to the adequacy of finished steel supplies before deciding whether to arrange for any to be imported for the use of the metal using industries.
The Opposition have put down a series of Amendments at different places in the Bill seeking to make sure that the Board should not overlook the necessity, in appropriate cases, of consulting the trade unions. I think the Committee will agree that this revised Amendment, which was inspired by the Amendments put down by the Opposition, fully covers that point, and I hope that they will approve it.

§ Mr. Jack Jones
We on this side of the Committee are happy to accept the Amendment, and we thank the Minister for it. When we first looked at the Amendment—prior to today—we wondered whether the Board, with all the variety of work that yesterday, at least, we believed they would have to do, would have time to be able to carry out this extended duty that they are now being called upon to do. After today's debate, however, finding that the Board are to have very little to do effectively, we are glad that there is something, at least, upon which they will be able to concentrate with power to do something: that is, to consult the various types of organisation which deal not only with the production but with the disposal of steel, and so on. On that account, we are happy to accept the Amendment.
Amendment agreed to.