§ Q1. Mr. Maddenasked the Prime Minister when he will next meet the TUC General Council.
§ Q8. Mr. Canavanasked the Prime Minister when he next expects to meet the TUC.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. James Callaghan)I expect to meet some of the leaders of the TUC when I take the chair at the meeting of the NEDC on 2nd February. Other meetings will be arranged as necessary.
§ Mr. MaddenDespite yesterday's most welcome trade surplus, does my right hon. Friend remain dismayed at the level of imports entering the United Kingdom? Will he tell the TUC, the directors of the CBI and the Director-General of the NEDC, all of whom have urged selective import controls, that he is prepared to consider that policy together with a much tougher anti-dumping policy? Will he take the opportunity at the rumoured National Industrial Conference and on his visits to major concerns throughout the country to stress that urgent action should be taken to substitute for imports?
§ The Prime MinisterI am concerned still at the level of imports, although, if we take the last quarter over the previous quarter, imports increased by 1 per cent. 76 and exports by 5 per cent., which is a very welcome trend. I hope that that trend will continue. Despite trends and fashions, I hope that people will buy British wherever they can and where-ever it is of value. As regards selective import controls, that is now the Government's policy. There are cases that are constantly examined both in the multifibre sector and elsewhere. We have been looking into ways and means of speeding up anti-dumping applications to ensure that they are decided as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. AdleyWill the right hon. Gentleman tell the TUC that many Post Office workers resent the TUC's recommendation that they should take industrial action for political reasons, and object to the fact that they were not consulted by their unions? They are anxious to know why the TUC always seems to take this sort of action against South Africa and never against dictatorships of the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe.
§ The Prime MinisterIt will be for the TUC to ascertain the intentions and views of its members and not for me to tell it the particular matters that the hon. Gentleman raises. It is proper and right for the Trades Union Congress to be concerned about the organisation of trade unionists in South Africa as everywhere else. I hope that the Opposition will not spend all their time on this matter but will join forces with those who wish to see labour in South Africa properly organised and enjoying the human dignity that it should enjoy.
§ Mr. CanavanI congratulate trade unionists on organising this week's boycott against the apartheid régime in South Africa, but will my right hon. Friend also tell the professional footballers' union that many of us within the Labour and trade union movement will resist any pressure from the dictators within the Scottish Football Association who are trying, under the threat of disciplinary action, to force players to take part in the Scotland versus Chile international football match in a stadium in Santiago which has been desecrated by the torture and murder of many innocent people by the Fascist Pinochet régime?
§ The Prime MinisterI recognise that it is not possible to keep the boundary 77 between sport and politics entirely free where these issues are held so deeply, but with respect I do not expect to be discussing this matter with the TUC.
§ Mr. CarlisleWhen the right hon. Gentleman next meets the TUC, will he use his influence as Prime Minister to stress to members of the General Council that if, as I am sure they do, they believe in a system of parliamentary democracy rather than union dictatorship, they have a responsibility to stress to their members that they should accept the laws of this country rather than encourage them to disobey them?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is no doubt where the leaders of the TUC stand on this matter. [HON. MEMBERS: "Where do you stand?"] The Opposition do not do either industrial peace or their own prospects any good by constantly attacking the TUC on these matters. Although the chance may seem remote, the day may come when they will have to deal with them in a responsible manner.
The Government's policy on law and order is well known and will be steadily maintained.
§ Mr. James LamondMay I ask the Prime Minister, when he talks to the TUC about extending the social contract for a further period, not to be hindered by the impudent and ill-advised speech of the Duke of Edinburgh, who appeared to be clambering on to the bandwagon—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. It is the long-established custom in this House to speak with respect of members of the Royal Family.
§ Mr. SkinnerHe has no respect for workers.
§ Mr. TorneyHe certainly has not.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. All I am asking for is courteous language.
§ Mr. James LamondI hope that my right hon. Friend's talks will not be impeded by speeches, from whatever source they may come, which are impudent and ill-advised enough to suggest that we should pay less attention to the deprived and underprivileged, which would be contrary to the whole spirit of the social 78 contract which has been forged with the Trades Union Congress.
§ The Prime MinisterI am not sure how far your ruling went, Mr. Speaker, but, as you will know, there is no ministerial responsibility for speeches made by the Duke of Edinburgh, and I certainly do not intend to assume any. I do not think that such speeches, by whomever they are made, will have any impact on the great understanding between the Government and the trade union movement on some of these issues.