§ 1. Mr. R. Bellasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what progress has been made by his Department in improving the status and prospects of civilian dilutees in Admiralty employment.
§ The Civil Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Wingfield Digby)Agreement has been reached on the Shipbuilding Trades Joint Council to extend the limit of merit pay of dilutees from 9s. a week to 12s. a week in June, 1955, and to 15s. a week in April, 1956. Certain talks about improving the status of dilutees have taken place with the unions concerned, and I am hopeful that some further progress may be possible in this field.
§ Mr. BellWill my hon. Friend treat the remainder of this problem as urgent? Will he remember that some of these men have been in this status for fifteen years, and that if the engineering needs of the armament programme should be reduced before this problem is solved the Admiralty will be faced with some very acute and embarrassing personal problems?
§ Mr. DigbyYes, I hope it will be possible to do something in the way of recognition of the skilled men who have done their work satisfactorily for a number of years.
§ Mr. BottomleyWill the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that nothing will be done without full consultation with the trade unions concerned?