§ THE EARL OF SHANNONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in making the recent bank holiday proclamations, they considered the many labour agreements which include provision for overtime or other premium rates to be paid for all work performed on bank holidays.]
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, the terms of agreements relating to holiday remuneration vary. Some specify particular days, but others refer also in more general terms to public holidays. It was not the Government's intention that March 15 and 16 should be treated as bank holidays for any purpose other than to close the foreign exchange markets and the Stock Exchange.
§ THE EARL OF SHANNONMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask him this supplementary question? Did the proclamation specifically state that this was not Her Majesty's Government's intention?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, it was not possible to deal in the statement with all the consequential matters which might arise, but it stated that the banks were being asked to provide their domestic customers with their normal 1120 requirements, and I think most people interpreted that in the spirit of the proclamation.
§ THE EARL OF SHANNONMy Lords, may I ask a further supplementary question? Then are Her Majesty's Government relying on the good will of people not to enforce what could perhaps be considered a legal right?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, the information that I have is that employer and employee organisations are interpreting this in a common-sense way. If there was a question of any legal argument, it would of course fall to the courts to decide what liabilities might arise.