HC Deb 02 May 1966 vol 727 c1211
7. Mr. Chapman

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when she will receive from the Royal Commission on Trade Unions its interim Report on payment of National Insurance benefit to employees made unemployed by an industrial dispute.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance (Mr. Norman Pentland)

It is for the Royal Commission to decide when it is in a position to report on this subject. On the general question of the Royal Commission's progress, I would draw the attention of my hon. Friend to the recent statement issued by the Royal Commission which makes it clear that it is well aware of the urgency of its task.

Mr. Chapman

Is the Royal Commission seized of the importance of making this the subject of a separate and interim Report? Does my hon. Friend realise that there are tens of thousands of men smarting under a sense of grievance, and have been for a long time, that this fund apparently lets them down at the moment when they need it most?

Mr. Pentland

I am, of course, aware of my hon. Friend's concern but, as he knows, the trades dispute disqualification for unemployment benefit goes deeply into the field of industrial relations and involves a number of trade union principles which are bound up with many of the considerations and problems which the Commission is now considering. I assure my hon. Friend that by virtue of this fact alone this is a serious obstacle in the way of making an interim Report, but the Commission is seized of the urgency of this task and its members are diligently applying their minds to it.

Mr. Speaker

Order. We are moving a little slowly. It may be because of the sunny weather.