§ 39. Mr. Kenneth Lewisasked the Minister of Labour whether he will instruct the Professional Executive Register to refuse to provide names of persons on that register to employers who use the services of management inquiry agents.
§ Mr. GunterThis would be impracticable.
§ Mr. LewisMay we have the Minister's assurance that those who may in the past have been in trouble with the police may nevertheless put their names on the register and have them put forward for suitable jobs as they arise?
§ Mr. GunterYes, Sir. I tried to make this clear in answer to Question No. 5. This is one of the things I resent most about it. If lads who may have made a mistake are to be hounded for it throughout the whole of their working lives, it is a very poor tribute to conditions in this country.
§ Mr. John PageWill the Minister make names on the register available to bona-fide employment agencies and consultants so that a wider range of opportunities for employment may be given to these people when seeking jobs?
§ Mr. GunterThat matter has been raised before. The great difficulty is to determine which are bona-fide agencies. There are so many, and I do not want the task of saying that one is respectable and another is not.
§ Mr. DunnDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that responsibility in this type of activity rests squarely with employers, and will he say what action he can take to combat the menace? We cannot solve the problem by saying that names should be taken off the official register or that they be withheld. Something more positive must be done.
§ Mr. GunterI have tried to explain that it is extremely difficult for the Government to contemplate legislation which in itself might be impracticable in enforcement. But my hon. Friend is quite right in saying that the duty of identifying past character and the capabilities of people he is minded to employ rests squarely on the employer. He should make inquiries, as the vast majority do, of the previous employer.