Arbitration Tribunal (Award)

HC Deb 21 June 1956 vol 554 cc1622-3

31. Mr. Ede

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to implement the award of the Police Arbitration Tribunal of 31st May, 1956.

Major Lloyd-George

No, Sir. As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have no power, as the law stands, to give effect to this award. We sympathise, however, with representations made about the difficulties which arise from the present state of the law, and we are considering whether anything can be done to resolve them.

Mr. Ede

Can the right hon. and gallant Gentleman give any indication when he will be able to give me an answer about the result of these investigations which he is making, if I put another Question down?

Major Lloyd-George

I hope to do so before very long.

Mr. Callaghan

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's decision relate also to the arbitration award which has been won by the police as well as to the future position that may arise?

Major Lloyd-George

I could not give a promise in regard to retrospection. What I am referring to at the moment is the future position. I know that there has been trouble about that in the past. It is difficult to find out how one could do it. At the moment neither my right hon. Friend nor I am allowed to do it.

Mr. Callaghan

Where the right hon. and gallant Gentleman agrees, as a member of the official side, to refer a case to arbitration and the decision goes against him, will he bear in mind, in reaching his conclusion, that if he is not prepared to give effect to a decision against him, he will undermine the confidence of the police in the effectiveness of the arbitration machinery?

Major Lloyd-George

I am not sure that I can go all the way with the hon. Gentleman on that because the staff side was well aware of the restrictions of the machinery of this character before negotiations started. It does not show any weakness in the negotiating machinery. It may show weakness in how certain things work out. The negotiating machinery in all its aspects was well known to the staff side before the negotiations started.