§ 4 Mr. Pannellasked the Minister of Labour whether he will have placed in the Library a complete transcript of the evidence placed before the court of inquiry in the engineering and shipbuilding industry disputes.
§ Sir W. MoncktonNo, Sir. The hearings of the courts of inquiry were held in public and were described at length in the Press. The reports of the courts, which have been laid before the House, contain detailed accounts of the submissions of the parties.
§ Mr. PannellWill the Minister think about this matter again, and bear in mind that the inquiry was conducted at great expense to the parties themselves? It is the only full-scale inquiry that I can remember into this most important branch of the private sector of industry. The evidence which was offered must be of great value to economists and to people who want to inquire into this kind of thing. Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman consider that all this expenditure should result merely in a series of documents being pigeon-holed?
§ Sir W. MoncktonI very much hope they will not simply be pigeon-holed. As the hon. Member knows, the arguments are very fully set out in the reports. If there is any disposition to see the transcript of the 10 days' proceedings, I have no objection in principle. I was doubting whether it was required on a large scale.
§ Mr. RobensMay I add my plea to that of my hon. Friend? It may well 2405 be that not a large number of Members would want to go through the evidence, but quite a number would like to see the transcript, and if it can be placed in the Library, if only for a short period, it will be of great advantage.
§ Sir W. MoncktonIn view of the interest of the right hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friend, I will reconsider the matter.