§ 18. Mr. Moyleasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish a new edition of the Industrial Relations Handbook.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI am considering whether a new edition should be undertaken.
§ Mr. MoyleIs it not a dismal commentary on the state of industrial relations under the present Government that, whereas 10 years ago there was sufficient consensus for his Department to produce a non-controversial book on how to solve our industrial relations problems, since the passage of the Industrial Relations Act that has proved pretty well impossible.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkIt is no commentary of that kind whatever. The present book is of historical interest and contains a summary of the Fair Wages Act. [Laughter.] If it is of historical interest, a fact which seems to cause some mirth among Labour Members, and if there is to be a revision, perhaps we should consider including in that revision a short chapter on the rather fugitive and short-lived history of "In Place of Strife".
§ Mr. John PageWill my hon. Friend seriously consider publishing again the Code of Industrial Relations Practice, possibly in a shortened form, and making it free? This is something that should have much wider circulation than it has at present, and at 15p it is rather expensive although it is well worth it.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI do not know about 15p, but, of course, the guide to the Industrial Relations Act is free. The Code of Industrial Relations Practice is freely available. We can consider the possibility of producing a shortened version, if that is possible.