THE EARL OF LUCANMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Southwood, I beg to ask the question which stands in his name.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government, whether they can now name an approximate date for the completion of the Beveridge Report, and if they propose to publish the Report or only their conclusions thereon.]
§ LORD GAINFORDMy Lords, before the noble Viscount replies I wish to make 253 just one point. Industry at the present time is being invited and pressed by the Government to express its views in regard to the Report already issued by Sir William Beveridge, and an effort is being made to send an answer embodying what industry thinks it ought to say to the Government on the subject. Now I wish to point out that the recommendations are very complex. Take one very small illustration, that of compensation for accidents. A great number of accidents are compensated for in one industry and practically none in another. Therefore, on that account alone, the interests of different branches of industry are very diffuse and very complex, and a good deal of attention has to be concentrated in order to secure some definite view from industry in connexion with the proposals. A suggestion I wish to put to the noble Viscount is that in the event of the Government coming to any conclusions for submission to Parliament, those conclusions should be put in the form of proposals and not as definite conclusions. Industry would then have a further opportunity of expressing its views thereon, before the Government were definitely committed to any proposals.
VISCOUNT CLIFDENMy Lords, in the absence of my noble friend Lord Portal, I rise to answer the question which has been asked on behalf of my noble friend Lord Southwood by the noble Earl, Lord Lucan. It is intended to publish the Report, the completion of which is expected in the autumn. In regard to the observations made by my noble friend Lord Gainford, I will make it my business to inform my noble friend Lord Portal what he has said.