HC Deb 03 November 1969 vol 790 cc652-7
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. John Diamond)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to make a further statement about the supply of Government publications to Parliament. The House will recall that on 20th October I explained that, owing to unofficial industrial action in the London presses and binderies of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, there was interference with the supply of Parliamentary and other papers. I am glad to report that since then there has been a return to work ; but a go-slow by a section of members of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades at St. Stephen's Parliamentary Press is continuing to interfere with Parliamentary printing. Officers of the House and Her Majesty's Stationery Office are taking steps to ensure the supply of documents essential for the work of both Houses, but I greatly regret that it will not be possible to avoid some inconvenience to hon. Members.

Mr. Higgins

Is it not most unsatisfactory that the work of the House should continue to be inhibited by this kind of unofficial action? What action do the Government propose to take to prevent a recurrence of this kind of behaviour in the future? Secondly, would the Chief Secretary assure the House that no business will come before it unless all the necessary papers are available for proper discussion? Thirdly, what is the situation in regard to the backlog of copies of HANSARD and other papers? Will these be made readily available and, if so, at what date?

Mr. Diamond

The backlog is being caught up with. A copy of HANSARD—not the printed edition, but a copy of the OFFICIAL REPORT, or a series of copies—is available in the Library and any hon. Member who wishes to refer to it may do so in the Library the following day. All I can do is to keep the inconvenience, which I sincerely regret, to a minimum. I was then asked what methods were proposed to prevent any worker in future ever going slow. That requires a little thought.

Sir G. Nabarro

May we be told why work of this kind cannot be put out to private tender so as to ensure reasonable continuity of supply? Why should we put up with this crass dislocation? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are no Votes available and that I had no knowledge of Parliamentary Questions which I put down in the last few days? [HON. MEMBERS : "0h."] This is not the subject for a cacophony by hon. Members opposite. This is a serious matter. I have set down a number of Parliamentary Questions, which I cannot check since I have no Votes. Furthermore, may we be told why it is that copies of HANSARD are missing for 21st October, and then are available for the later dates of 30th and 31st October? If we are to put up with these strikes, cannot some continuity of supply of papers be established?

Mr. Diamond

The Order Paper is being circulated to hon. Members so that they can see the Notices of Motions and Questions. I have already explained the position about HANSARD and the steps which are being taken to minimise the inconvenience to hon. Members. I very much regret this inconvenience. I am delighted to see that at least the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro) knew that the House was sitting today and has come along.

Mr. David Griffiths

Although one realises the difficulties of the dispute in regard to the publication of HANSARD and so on, should we not mention our appreciation of the noble work being carried out by the Vote Office?

Mr. Diamond

That is a matter for Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Could the right hon. Gentleman say definitely when normal services will be restored? If the situation is not to be put right immediately, will he give consideration to alternative methods of printing, perhaps abroad?

Mr. Diamond

There is delay not attributable to the printing, but to the distribution and finishing work. The difficulty arises because a number of men in a particular chapel have decided to work to rule. I cannot say when those men will make up their minds to work more normally.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Have the Government made any contingency plans in the event of obstruction reaching a point when Parliamentary Government cannot be properly carried on? Is it proper that the debate should continue when the official record of the last two days is not in the hands of hon. Members?

Hon. Members

Hear, hear.

Mr. Diamond

I have already explained the situation about HANSARD being available in the Library the following day. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will let me know if he is unable to see a copy of HANSARD almost immediately—that is to say the following day, which is as early as would be the case in normal circumstances. I fully recognise that there is inconvenience.

Sir R. Cary

Could the right hon. Gentleman indicate the nature of the complaint of the members of the printing chapel who are on strike and delaying our proceedings?

Mr. Diamond

There is no strike.

Mr. Higgins

The Chief Secretary has given a very unsatisfactory set of answers. Is he aware that there is only one copy of HANSARD in the Library, that it is difficult to get hold of and that it takes time to make copies. He referred a little earlier to a work-to-rule. Is this the right description, because he appears to have changed it from his original statement? Could he clarify the matter by saying whether or not the Government propose to bring forward any business for which all the necessary papers are not available?

Mr. Diamond

The original statement spoke of a go-slow. I hope that I have not confused the matter by referring later on to a work-to-rule. I believe that it is virtually the same thing. The effect is that there is no strike but a particular chapel is not producing work as fast as it is sent to them, and therefore there are delays. I had understood that there was more than one copy of HANSARD available in the Library. [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] I had understood that was so. I will check up and see whether it is the case.

Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

Following the unworthy evasion by the right hon. Gentleman in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Sir R. Cary), could he now tell the House the nature of the complaint which is causing the men to indulge in a go-slow, or whatever description the right hon. Gentleman wishes to place upon it?

Mr. Diamond

There is no question of evasion. I should be deceiving the House if I used the word "strike" when it was the wrong word. There was an unofficial strike, but after certain negotiations the men returned to work. A number of chapels decided to return to work, but one chapel has decided to go slow.

Hon. Members

Why.

Mr. Goodhew

Will the right hon. Gentleman now tell the House why? He cannot go on evading the issue. Will he now answer the question?

Mr. Diamond

But it is not possible to say why people go slow. [HON. MEMBERS : "0h."] It is certainly a reasonable deduction that the terms of the arrangement under which there was a return to work generally were found by some to be more acceptable than they were found by others.

Mr. Maudling

Is it to be understood that the men concerned are not asking for anything at all, or that if they are asking for something the Government do not know what it is?

Mr. Diamond

What is to be understood is that there are many reasons for a go-slow. Some of them are more subtle than the right hon. Gentleman would give credence to.

Mr. Heffer

Will my right hon. Friend indicate—and I think that this is the most important point—what negotiations are taking place between the workers who are going slow, for whatever reason they are going slow, and the appropriate authorities concerned with their conditions of employment?

Mr. Diamond

There have been discussions at a variety of levels with the union concerned. That is why I thought that it would be misleading the House if I said that there was a strike on. There is not.

Sir T. Beamish

In answering these questions, has the right hon. Gentleman been working to rule or going slow?

Mr. Biggs-Davison

On a point of order. In view of the entirely unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's replies, I beg to give notice that I will seek leave to raise the matter at the earliest opportunity.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have a statement to make on the present position as far as the staff of the House is concerned. I think that I might begin by saying that I know that the House will appreciate the difficulties under which the Table Office and the Vote Office are working, and that the House is grateful for what they are doing.

I think that the House would wish to know that absolute priority will continue to be given to the production of those parts of the Order Paper which concern the business to be taken on the Floor of the House. Questions for Written Answer and notices for future days will be published as and when this can be done, but it will not be possible to avoid a certain delay.

For the time being, I think that the House will be prepared to forgo the publication of additional signatures to existing Motions and Amendments.

I would also repeat my earlier advice to hon. Members that it is unlikely to be possible to include in any paper notices which are received later than six o'clock in the evening before its publication.

It would also be of the greatest assistance if Members could submit their notices in typescript rather than manuscript wherever this is possible. Failing that, calligraphy helps.

Mr. Heath

We are grateful to you, Mr. Speaker, for your statement. But what you have said surely emphasises to the whole House the seriousness of the position and the inconvenience the House is suffering as a result.

Leaving aside the question of the reasons for this, would not it be possible to ask the Government for special assistance to be made available so that by the auxiliary methods you are now using you could reduce the inconvenience to the House further? If further staff were made available from the very large resources the Government have, we could perhaps not pursue a normal procedure but at any rate should not be inconvenienced to the very large extent you have just described.

Mr. Speaker

This is a matter for the Government, not for Mr. Speaker.

Mr Heath

Perhaps through you, Mr. Speaker, I could ask the Leader of the House whether he will give consideration to this and perhaps make a statement to the House tomorrow saying what he has been able to arrange.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Fred. Pearl)

I believe that what the right hon. Gentleman suggests is reasonable, and I will look into this carefully.