§ Q2. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Prime Minister when he next expects to meet the chairmen of the nationalised industries.
§ The Prime MinisterI am ready to meet the chairmen of the nationalised industries whenever necessary, as I did last July, Sir, but, apart from those I hope to meet at NEDC tomorrow I have at present no plans to meet them as a group.
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonWhen the Prime Minister meets them will it not be necessary to discuss the Trades Union Congress's important statement over the weekend that top salaries should not be more than £20,000, in view of the excessive salaries paid to some chairmen and part-time chairmen of these industries?
§ The Prime MinisterI and my right hon. Friends are in touch with the CBI, the chairmen of the nationalised industries and the TUC on these matters.
§ Mr. CryerWill my right hon. Friend explain how the appointment of Sir Richard Dobson—currently earning £58,000 a year, and with an £80,000 goodbye present—to a part-time, three-days-a-week job as chairman of British Leyland, will inspire British Leyland workers with the belief that publicly-owned industries will be more democratic in the future?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry was answering Questions yesterday from my hon. Friend and others on this matter. It is true that I met Sir Richard Dobson after he had been appointed by the Board—I did not interview him, as has been stated—following the consultations with the National Enterprise Board. Indeed, all the relevant Ministers were involved before that appointment was made, including myself. [Interruption.] You want the facts; you are getting them—through you, Mr. Speaker, of course.
With regard to the inspiration of British Leyland workers, my hon. Friend will have been delighted to see the very big improvement in productivity and the faster move than many expected towards profitability. As from 1968 until very recently there had been only four days in the history of British Leyland when there were no strikes, my hon. Friend will be glad to see, and will, I am sure, do all that he can to encourage, the recent improvement in industrial relations.
§ Mr. PardoeThe Prime Minister will recognise that some people, even on the Opposition side of the House, have sympathy with limiting the level of top salaries. However, why it is proving so difficult to obtain the services of younger men to head up these industries? Does the right hon. Gentleman recognise that there has been some unfavourable and perhaps unfair—[Interruption.]. Is the Prime Minister aware that that is not actually one of the jobs that I am looking for? [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We shall never hear what job it is.
§ Mr. PardoeBefore that ribald interruption I was asking the Prime Minister whether he could make sure that these jobs were widely advertised to recruit those with qualifications other than that of being geriatric.
§ The Prime MinisterAs to the hon. Gentleman, I shall be prepared to consider it if he will send me a note of his qualifications—an octavo sheet will do, as I think most of his hon. Friends would agree. Concerning the wider question raised by the hon. Gentleman some time ago, in the case of British Leyland, as he will know, it was decided that the 1094 main weight of leadership would fall on the chief executive—who, I should have thought, is conducting his operations very successfully—and that one wanted a rather wise, elder industrial statesman in the chair, but not to interfere with the work of the chief executive.