HC Deb 23 April 1975 vol 890 cc1459-61
5. Mr. Alexander Fletcher

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the STUC.

Mr. William Ross

I attended the annual conference of the Scottish Trades Union Congress in Aberdeen on Friday 18th April. I shall of course be continuing my normal practice of close and regular contacts with it in the future.

Mr. Fletcher

Is the Secretary of State aware that his meeting with the STUC at Aberdeen, at which he was supported by the Secretary of State for Employment and the Prime Minister, resulted in the total rejection by the STUC of the social contract and the election of a Communist as General Secretary of the STUC? In those circumstances, does the Secretary of State agree that the prospect for industrial relations in Scotland does not look at all good? What steps do he and his Government colleagues propose to take to improve this situation?

Mr. Ross

That was a fairly omnibus and diffuse question. First, I should like to put the hon. Gentleman right. It was not a meeting; it was a conference. Secondly, the Prime Minister was not there. Thirdly, the Secretary of State for Employment and I spoke after the resolution to which the hon. Gentleman refers was discussed. I have not the slightest doubt that had I spoken before that, the resolution would have been very difficult.

As regards Mr. James Milne, his was an appointment; it was not an election. He was appointed not for his political affiliations but for his ability to do the job. No doubt it was the same thing that commended him to his right hon. Friend the previous Tory Secretary of State, when he reaffirmed his appointment to a public body.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

Is the Secretary of State aware of the deep concern in the trade union movement and throughout Scotland about unemployment? As the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his Budget speech, indicated that he thought that unemployment would probably rise to 1 million in Great Britain in the next 12 months, will the Secretary of State now come clean and say what is his estimate, within that figure of 1 million, for Scotland?

Mr. Ross

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman is right. I have heard Ministers of the former Tory Government say that it would be wrong to make estimates in relation to unemployment in the United Kingdom. Certainly it is not my intention to do so for Scotland. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that unemployment in Scotland has not been rising so fast as in England. That fact does not seem to give him very much comfort As regards the Government proposals which have already been put into effect, I should have liked to see a little more co-operation from the Tory Party in helping to get them on the statute book. I also refer to the Scottish Development Agency Bill. The sooner that is on the statute book the better.

Mrs. Bain

Apart from having regular meetings with the Scottish Trades Union Congress, will the Secretary of State convene a special meeting of the STUC and invite to it leaders of the "Save Scottish Steel" campaign and the Secretary of State for Industry so that he can discuss the report in today's Glasgow Herald that orders for 10,000 tons of steel plate for shipbuilding on the Clyde will be transferred by the British Steel Corporation from Clydeside to Scunthorpe.

Mr. Ross

The hon. Lady misunderstands the position. I do not convene meetings of the STUC; it convenes its own meetings. If it wishes to hold a special meeting on any subject, I have not the slightest doubt that it will write to me about it.

Mrs. Bain

The Secretary of State is not interested. Shame.