HC Deb 22 March 1973 vol 853 cc642-4
14. Mr. R. C. Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek an early meeting with the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the Trades Union Congress.

Mr. Barber

I am always ready to meet the TUC.

Mr. Mitchell

When the right hon. Gentleman next meets the TUC, will he discuss with it the proposals in the Green Paper about family allowances and the tax credit system? Will he now clarify the statement which he made in his Budget Statement because many of us could not understand exactly what he meant then.

Mr. Barber

The reaction to that part of my Budget Statement was one of welcome. It was quite clear what it meant. I shall be delighted to discuss any aspect of the Green Paper with the TUC whenever it likes to see me about it.

Mr. Kenneth Lewis

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Government have done a great deal to meet the TUC on many matters of Government policy on which it has made representations, including the 5 per cent. growth rate? Is it not now desirable that the TUC should give something to the Government so as to get a stable situation in industry?

Mr. Barber

As I have said, we are ready to talk these matters over with the TUC. Indeed, earlier this month I wrote to Mr. Feather saying that the Government would welcome any views that the TUC might wish to express on the consultative document on the Price and Pay Code. I said that if the TUC wished I was ready to make arrangements for discussion. To my regret the TUC chose not to pursue that suggestion.

Mr. Eadie

The right hon. Gentleman has expressed to the House his wish to see the trade unions at any time. Does he recollect that last year he and I met at about one o'clock in the morning at 10 Downing Street and settled the miners' strike? Does he wish to remain a member of a Government that pursue a policy of brinkmanship, that break their word to the miners' union, and pursue brinkmanship to the extent that we may be plunged into another miners' strike? Is it credible for a Minister to speak, at the Dispatch Box, about negotiations with the trade unions?

Mr. Barber

The latter part of the hon. Gentleman's observations was not particularly helpful in the present circumstances. I have no doubt that the solid good sense of the majority of the British people will prevail.