§ 20. Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Health if he will set up an inquiry into the conditions under which registrars of 8 births, deaths and marriages are employed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI am informed that the salary claim on behalf of registration officers is still before the National Joint Council, which is considering it, in relation to a general salary review for local government officers. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to set up such an inquiry at present.
§ Mr. RidleyDoes not the Minister agree that these people do not really know who their employer is and that, in a highly inflationary time like the present, it is difficult to know to whom to put in a wage claim? Will he, after this one is disposed of, look at this problem, which is a question of employer-employee relationships?
§ Mr. RobinsonI have looked at this question and, as I told my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Norwood) on 30th July, last year, I do not consider that it is necessary to introduce legislation to define the actual legal employer of registration officers. When the present matter is out of the way, I will gladly look at the general question again. However, I will tell the hon. Member that the claim has been remitted to a working party set up by the National Joint Council.