Immingham Docks (Hansard, 20 January 1976)

§ 7. Mr. Brotherton
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will pay an official visit to Immingham Docks.

§ Mr. Foot
I have, at present, no plans to do so.

§ Mr. Brotherton
Will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his reply, in view of the fact that at present a serious dock strike is taking place in Immingham and Grimsby? If he cannot go there himself, will he send his friend, Mr. Jack Jones, to tell the pampered dockers that even they cannot have more than the £6 a week increase—that they cannot have that increase as well as an increase in the fallback arrangement?

§ Mr. Foot
I understand that unofficial strike action has been taken by some dockers concerning the pay dispute. However, I also understand that the independent Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service is in touch with the situation. I am sure that it will do everything it can to try to get a satisfactory result.

§ Dr. Edmund Marshall
If my right hon. Friend goes to Immingham Docks, will he take the opportunity to visit Goole Docks, which are further up the same estuary, where there is an excellent record of good industrial relations? Moreover, Goole has the added advantage of being close to the motorway network, and being the most inland port in the whole country.

§ Mr. Foot
That is the most agreeable invitation that I have received for some time.

§ Mr. Prior
Will the right hon. Gentleman tell us when we can expect the Second Reading of the Dock Work Regulation Bill? Will he also take into account that one of the causes of in- 1120 creased unemployment in Britain is lack of confidence caused by the introduction of measures like the Dock Work Regulation Bill, which everyone in industry regards as complete and utter nonsense, in terms of trying to solve a very difficult problem? Does he accept that the Opposition would co-operate if he would drop that Bill and introduce measures which would have a genuine effect in helping dockers without dislocating the rest of the country?

§ Mr. Foot
I entirely repudiate the suggestion that the operation of the Dock Labour Scheme has been responsible for any of the difficulties at Grimsby that have been raised in the right hon. Gentleman's question. However, I am glad to see that he is looking forward to the introduction of the Bill. We certainly have no intention whatever of dropping it. It will be brought before the House—HON. MEMBERS: "When?"] Very soon. Indeed, I am sure that hon. Gentlemen will be eager to discuss it. We must get it into operation soon, because I believe it will make a real contribution to industrial peace.