§ 4. Mrs. McKayasked the Minister of Labour if he will give details of the membership of the committee established to consider the social and economic issues of the implementation of the pledge to grant by right equal pay for equal work.
§ Mr. ThorntonThe committee is one of officials. The Departments concerned are the Ministry of Labour, the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, 4 Home Office, Treasury and Ministry of Defence.
§ Mrs. McKayI thank my hon. Friend for that Answer. Has the Department consulted outside bodies such as employers and trade unions who are vitally interested? When will the report be completed and will it be published?
§ Mr. ThorntonIt is not customary to publish reports of official committees. Representations have been received from interested bodies and they are having the closest consideration.
§ Dr. SummerskillWhat are the complex economic and social issues which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour has already told the Council of the T.U.C. are preventing the Government from implementing straight away their election pledge on equal pay?
§ Mr. ThorntonWe shall certainly implement all the pledges that we have made, but we have another four years to go. We must ascertain all that is involved in this, including cost, and then it will have to take its place in the order of priorities.
§ Mr. RidsdaleHas the Ministry been able to make an estimate yet of the cost of equal pay? I asked this question three months ago.
§ Mr. ThorntonNo, Sir. We have not yet had an estimate made of the cost. This is one of the matters which are being considered by the official committee which my right hon. Friend expects will report to him in the course of the next two or three weeks.