§ Q4. Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister why he is taking the chair at the meeting of the National Economic Development Council on 3rd May.
§ Q7. Dr. Gilbertasked the Prime Minister how many requests he has received that he take the chair at the next meeting of the National Economic Development Council.
§ The Prime MinisterIt is my practice to take the chair at Council meetings from time to time, and I shall do so on 3rd May. I have received no representations about the chairmanship of this or any other meeting of the Council.
§ Mr. DalyellHow will the Prime Minister be defining to "Neddy" the Government's precise attitude towards the railwaymen's pay claim?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is not my responsibility to explain that to "Neddy", which is a tripartite discussion between Government, employers and unions. I expect responsibility to rest on the unions to explain why they are so far not prepared to accept the very generous offer from the Railways Board.
§ Dr. GilbertWhile it is not surprising that no one would ask the right hon. Gentleman to chair the N.E.D.C., may I ask him to say what representations are taking place between the Government and the C.B.I. on the future of price restraint?
§ The Prime MinisterIt was not necessary for there to be an invitation, because I had already indicated my intention to preside from time to time when I wished to do so.
I had a meeting with the C.B.I. after the T.U.C. meeting at which, naturally, 1429 the question of price restraint was discussed. The Government having done their part in the Budget, and the C.B.I. having carried through and policed for nine months the policy of 5 per cent. price restraint, the C.B.I. was entitled also to expect a response from the trade unions.
§ Mr. John D. GrantWill the Prime Minister use that meeting of the N.E.D.C. to pursue further the question of threshold agreements, bearing in mind that if the Government had encouraged rather than discouraged agreements of this kind, we might not be facing a railway crisis?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is one of the matters being pursued by "Neddy" and, in particular, by the four representatives it has asked to examine this question in detail. I cannot accept the last part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question for the simple reason that, as it was explained to me when I met the T.U.C. General Council, the trade unions are themselves not in agreement about the desirability of threshold agreements.