§ 3.50 p.m.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I wonder whether the noble Lord, Lord Lawson, will forgive me if I intervene for a moment in order to make the statement that I promised the noble Lord, Lord Silkin, I would make concerning the strike situation. As I told the House yesterday, the employers and the unions are willing to co-operate with the Court of Inquiry which my right honourable friend the Minister of Labour and National Service has decided to appoint to inquire into the shipbuilding dispute. Accordingly, he is concentrating his efforts on finding a basis on which there can be a return to work in both the shipbuilding and engineering disputes. He has just seen the engineering employers and discussed with them a possible basis on which there might be a resumption of work. They are to consult their Management Board on this to-morrow morning.
§ LORD SILKINMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord for his statement. I wonder whether he could give 817 the House some information about the Court of Inquiry: what is its composition, whether it has been appointed, the names of the personnel and any other information he can give about it. Secondly, I should like to ask whether, in addition to seeing the employers to-day, the Minister has seen or is seeing the unions. There is just a ray of hope in the last paragraph of the noble Lord's statement. I wonder whether the unions have had the position put to them as well as the employers.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I am not certain as to the composition of the Court and whether it has yet been set up I cannot answer definitely whether it has actually been appointed, I am afraid, but I will certainly find out for the noble Lord. The composition would, I think, be roughly upon these lines: an independent Chairman, one member from the employers and one member from the union side, but none, of course, directly interested in any way at all personally in the dispute. As to consultation with the unions, I can only tell the noble Lord that I informed the House yesterday that my right honourable friend was in constant touch with both sides, and if he sees any chance of fruitful progress I am certain he will consult the unions as soon as he possibly can.
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, if that is the case, I wish it had been stated in this statement which goes out to the rank and file of these industries. The way it struck me—and, as I know, the noble Viscount, Lord Hall, as well—was this: how will it read to those in the country? The representatives here in London may understand the position—I expect they do—but I wish that there were some reference here to the fact that the Minister was also in touch at this moment with the representatives of the workers. It is quite misleading.
§ LORD MANCROFTNo, I do not think it was quite misleading. The statement that I have just made is by way of being a progress report—at least, I hope it is progress—in the day-to-day series of reports that I have been making to your Lordships' House about this time of the afternoon. I very much hope that these day-to-day statements will cease as soon as possible. If the noble Lord had been 818 here yesterday and last Thursday, he would have observed that my right honourable friend was in constant touch with both sides. There is no suggestion in the statement I have made to-day that there was any exclusion of the unions. This statement is merely bringing the report of progress up to date.