§ 51. Mr. Osborneasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the Government's Report on Automation is too technical to be widely read by the workers, who fear unemployment as a consequence of automation and if he will therefore authorise the issue of a short, simple and pictorial report dealing with the social aspects of automation and cause this to be distributed free to the workers who are most likely to be affected by it.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and National Service (Mr. Robert Carr)As my hon. Friend was informed in answer to his Question on 15th May it is certainly the Government's intention to make information about automation as widely known as possible. To this end, I am informed that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is preparing a simplified version of the Report which was recently issued.
§ Mr. OsborneThe last Report dealt with the technical aspects of automation and not with the social side, which is causing men to fear that they are going to lose their jobs because of automation. It did nothing to satisfy them and end their just fears. Will my hon. Friend see that the new report deals with the fear of unemployment rather than the technical side of the matter? That is very important.
§ Mr. CarrI well appreciate my hon. Friend's point. I think that it is right to publish a shorter version of the existing Report. I would remind my hon. Friend that the implications which he has mentioned will presumably be considered by the National Joint Advisory Council.