§ 3.43 p.m.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, with the permission of the House I should like to make a further statement about the shipbuilding and engineering disputes. Yesterday the Minister of Labour put to the engineering employers, after discussion with the unions, certain proposals involving direct talks between the parties, which might provide a basis for a resumption of work. The representatives of the employers consulted their Management Board this morning and have informed the Minister of Labour that they are willing to enter into direct negotiations with the unions. The Minister of Labour very much welcomes this helpful move on the part of the employers. At this moment the unions are meeting the Ministry of Labour officials to discuss the position.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, we are grateful to the noble Earl for making this statement. I must say that, like the Minister, we feel that it is a welcome position that negotiations between the two sides are to be opened almost at once. We wish that it could have been possible to do that earlier. May I ask the noble Earl, if he is informed, whether there is any delay in setting up the Court of Inquiry into the other dispute, or is it the intention to leave that until after these negotiations with the engineering industry have been completed?
THE EARL OF HOMEYes my Lords, I think that that is the position. No formal announcement has been made about the Court of Inquiry into the shipbuilding dispute because it is not certain 875 whether such a Court of Inquiry may not be required also to inquire into the engineering dispute. The position has been left fluid for that reason.
LORD REAMy Lords, I should like to support the noble Viscount in welcoming this message. I think it will be received with pleasure on all sides as some further gleam of light. Perhaps in this connection I may be allowed to refer to a remark made from the Labour Opposition Benches yesterday, I think by the noble Lord, Lord Macdonald of Gwaenysgor, who suggested that it might be interpreted outside these Houses of Parliament that negotiations with employers implied some overlooking of the other side. I would suggest that what has happened now shows that that is not the case. I hope it will be clear to everybody in the country that such negotiations as have been going on all go to produce some satisfactory conclusion and do not imply any overlooking of the other side.