HC Deb 12 July 1966 vol 731 c1197
12. Mr. St. John-Stevas

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken to implement the Treasury statement of Tuesday 21st June on the Report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on Industrial Civil Servants.

Mr. MacDermot

The Report was discussed with representatives of the trade Unions on 4th July. There will naturally have to be further discussions on this very complicated subject.

Mr. St. John-Stevas

As the Report concluded that a 30 per cent. improvement in efficiency and productivity could be brought about quite easily, should not the Government be taking urgent steps to implement it now? Would they not be better employed on that rather than on sponsoring a Bill, such as the Early Warning Bill, which is an economic irrelevancy and also a major threat to the future of our free society?

Mr. MacDermot

That was a rather involved supplementary question. I do not remember the words "quite easily" in the Report. Certainly these are aspects of the Report which we must discuss with the trade unions. The rest of the hon. Gentleman's question seemed to be anticipating the debate which we shall be having shortly.