§ 14. Mr. Sedgemoreasked the Paymaster General how many working days have been lost through strike action in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA provisional total of 2.6 million working days were lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes during the 12 months to 28 February 1986.
§ Mr. SedgemoreHow does the Minister think the Wapping dispute will affect this year's figures? Would it not help the Government, the print workers, newspaper readers and even wretched Lobby correspondents upstairs if Mr. Rupert Murdoch were to be declared an undesirable alien and if his cringing sidekick, Mr. Andrew Neil, were to be given early retirement and a clapped-out print works in lieu of compensation?
§ Mr. ClarkeInflammatory remarks by the hon. Gentleman will do nothing to help the position of anybody involved in the Wapping dispute. The hon. Gentleman is naming the only substantial dispute in private industry in Britain at the moment. He seems to overlook the fact that my reply to his question showed that Britain has had the least number of days lost in the period that he asked about for 19 years.