HC Deb 16 March 1976 vol 907 cc1110-1
7. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish as a Green Paper the views and proposals of Her Majesty's Government which will be presented to the forthcoming ILO World Conference on Employment.

Mr. Harold Walker

No, Sir.

Mr. Hooley

That is a straightforward but rather disappointing answer. Is my hon. Friend aware that there is a great deal of interest in this conference outside the formal ranks of the trade union movement? Will he consider inviting interested individuals and bodies for discussion before the Government representatives take part in the international conference?

Mr. Walker

I expected that my hon. Friend would find the answer disappointing, but he must have regard to the tripartite character of the ILO conference and to the fact that it also concerns matters other than unemployment. In correspondence I have already reassured my hon. Friend that I shall seek to make the ILO policy document as widely available as possible to those interested and shall welcome comments on it.

Mr. Hayhoe

Will the hon. Gentleman consider the possibility of facilitating the inclusion amongst workers' delegations of members delegated by non-TUC unions who represent a significant and important element in the work force?

Mr. Walker

The hon. Gentleman knows the traditional methods by which people are selected to attend ILO conferences, and I see no reason to deviate from that practice.

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