§ 22. Mr. Danceasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will now make a statement on the Government's proposals for wages councils; and what consultations have taken place on this subject.
§ 9. Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what consultation she has had about the wages council's proposals of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThree separate meetings have been held with the chairmen and leaders of the workers' and employers' sides of wages councils. The T.U.C. and C.B.I. were associated with their respective sides and other employers' organisations in the retail distributive trades have been consulted. Arrangements are being made for further discussions with the T.U.C. and C.B.I. to take place shortly, after which I hope to be able to make a statement about the Government's proposals.
§ Mr. DanceDoes the Minister intend to amend the 1959 Act to exclude from the scope of wages councils undertakings 645 which have satisfactory arrangements for collective bargaining on their own, as recommended by the Donovan Commission and approved by the right hon. Lady in her White Paper?
§ Mr. WalkerAs the White Paper makes clear, the recommendations of the Royal Commission relating to wages councils are subject to further consultation with the T.U.C., and C.B.I., and the interested bodies to which I have referred. We must await the outcome of those consultations before we decide what to do about those specific proposals.