HC Deb 20 July 1967 vol 750 cc2460-1
29. Mr. Biffen

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the present dispute over teachers' pay.

32. Mr. Channon

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he now has for increasing teachers' pay.

Mr. Crosland

The hearing before the arbitral body took place on Monday, and I await its report.

Mr. Biffen

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the settlement of this dispute is of the utmost significance to all those who are engaged in industrial arbitration in the private sector during the corning year? Have the Honeyman arbitrators been asked to take account of the Government's considerations concerning lower payment or productivity in the light of their prices and incomes policy? If not, will he take those considerations into account when considering the Honeyman proposals and inform the House accordingly?

Mr. Crosland

I agree with the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, namely, that it is extremely important, for all manner of reasons, to achieve a settlement of this dispute. That is why this dispute is now going through the procedure carefully laid down by the House of Commons in the Remuneration of Teachers Act, 1965. The second part of the supplementary question should properly be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.

Mr. Channon

When does the Secretary of State hope to be able to make an announcement as to his conclusions on this matter?

Mr. Crosland

It is not entirely up to me. It depends very much on what comes out of the arbitration procedure. As I understand their timetable, they will probably make their report within a very small number of days from now. I would hope that we could achieve some clarity about the whole position before the end of July.

Sir E. Boyle

Does the Secretary of State hope that the position will be clarified before the House rises for the Summer Recess?

Mr. Crosland

I very much hope so. There are two bodies here, over neither of which—quite rightly—have I any control. One is the arbitral body. The other is the Burnham Committee, which must meet to discuss the matter after the arbitral body has reported. So the timetable, as the right hon. Gentleman knows well, is not under my control. Like everybody else involved, I should like the earliest possible settlement to a very long drawn out dispute.