HC Deb 03 February 1966 vol 723 cc1367-9
Mr. Stonehouse

I beg to move, Amendment No. 12, in page 8, line 7, after "Corporations", to insert: and with any organisation representative of the employees to whom the regulations will relate which appears to him to be appropriate". As the House is aware, subsection (3) requires the Minister to consult the Corporations before making any regulations to allow employees of subsidiaries as well as those of the corporations themselves to participate in the airways corporations joint pension scheme. In Standing Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar (Mr. Mikardo) sought to move an Amendment to require the Minister to consult representatives of employees. Unfortunately, owing to the speed with which we conducted our proceedings in Committee, he did not have an opportunity to move his Amendment. However, we are grateful to him for drawing to our attention the point which he had in mind and we attempt to meet it by the Amendment.

We believe that there is an advantage in consultation taking place with organisations representative of the employees before the regulations are implemented. These consultations will be with the employees side of the National Joint Council, but they may also be with other representatives where appropriate. We believe that this will help to confirm the already existing good relations with employees in the corporations and the subsidiaries.

Mr. Mikardo

I desire in a single sentence only warmly to thank my hon. Friend and his right hon. Friend for their kindness in moving this Amendment to meet the point which I tried to meet in Committee in words less comprehensive and less felicitous than those of my hon. Friend. It is very I am sure, will be much appreciated by kind of them to take this trouble which, all the members of the pension fund who are, of course, virtually all the employees of the corporations.

Amendment agreed to.