§ 3.17 p.m.
§ LORD AMMONMy Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether the Report, presented in June, 1956, of the Committee to inquire into the operation of the Dock Workers' Employment Scheme has been considered by them, and any decision reached; (2) whether a communication has been received from the Docks National Joint Council with reference to the Report; the date of such communication; and when a reply on the points raised is likely to be forthcoming.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (LORD MANCROFT)My Lords, the 234 Report of the Committee to inquire into be operation of the Dock Workers' Employment Scheme recommended that the main structure of the Scheme should not be altered, but that there should be greater co-operation between the employers and the trade unions to make he Scheme work more effectively and that the National Dock Labour Board should be given the opportunity to exert a greater degree of leadership in dealing with various problems of dock labour. On those recommendations the observations of all the bodies in the industry with whom it would mainly lie to implement them have not yet been received.
The Report also recommended various minor amendments to the Scheme. On 8th April, 1957, the National Joint Council for the Port Transport Industry submitted agreed observations on the minor amendments recommended. The employers' side of the Council forwarded their comments on the main body of the Report on 26th April, 1957. It is understood that those of the workers' side of the Council will be submitted shortly. When these are received the desirability of amending the Dock Labour Scheme under the procedure laid down in the Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1946, will be considered.
§ LORD AMMONMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply, may I say that it is a little difficult to understand how a National Joint Council does not represent both sides of the industry, if their application has been in order. Considering that is two years since this Committee were appointed, and over twelve months since they reported, is it not time that the Government did something—either accept the Report or reject it, but at least make up their mind on the matter?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I think the noble Lord will agree that it would be clearly undesirable for the Government to formulate their policy before the views of the unions had been received. I agree with him, however, that there has been nothing precipitate or helter-skelter about the reaction to this Report of the various parties concerned. I will see what I can do to meet the noble Lords' wishes.