§ 12. Mr. Eadieasked the Secretary of State for Employment what advice he is now issuing to employer organisations regarding the position when the Industrial Relations Bill becomes law.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithMy right hon. Friend is issuing no formal advice at present, but he intends to publish a guide to the Bill when it becomes law.
§ Mr. EadieThe hon. Gentleman must be well aware that a new situation has arisen unexpectedly from the Government's point of view—namely, that quite a number of employers have given a cooler reception to the Bill than was probably expected. How do the Government propose to deal with this situation?
§ Mr. SmithI do not accept that for a moment. In fact, I believe that, on the whole, the reception has been extraordinarily good. I am encouraged to find how well many managers understand the provisions of the Bill. I believe that it would have been even more widely understood by individual employees if we had not had such an expensive campaign of misrepresentation directed against it.
§ Mr. FellIs my hon. Friend aware that the suggestion is being put round the workshop floors of Britain—I have proof of this in Great Yarmouth—that redundancy payments will cease with the introduction of the Bill?
§ Mr. SmithI should be very pleased to have that evidence from my hon. Friend. If he will let me have it, we will go into it, because there is no foundation whatever for such a suggestion.