§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Charity Commissioners could be requested to declare at the earliest possible opportunity what policy they propose to adopt, so far as concerns professional institutions which are registered as charities and wish to be placed on a register for the purposes of the Industrial Relations Bill.]
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME AFFAIRS (LORD WINDLESHAM)My Lords, it would not be appropriate for Her Majesty's Government to make such a request to the Charity Commissioners, but I have no doubt that they will take note of the noble Lord's Question. The noble Lord or the professional institutions in question may wish to approach the Charity Commissioners direct.
LORD JANNERMy Lords, in the event of this unfortunate Bill becoming an Act, is it not important that the professional bodies, who are doing excellent work in the country, should know what exactly will be the position so far as they are concerned? Does he not think that in these circumstances a Statement should be made by the Government at some stage as to what will be the position?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, a number of professional associations have made representations to the Government, and after consideration of these representations it has been decided to introduce an Amendment to the Industrial Relations Bill in another place which will enable professional associations that have a negotiating function to be placed on a special register and thereby benefit from all the privileges accorded to trade unions by the Bill. The Charity Commissioners may feel that it would be desirable to wait and see in what form the legislation goes on the Statute Book before deciding about the position of those professional associations which are registered as charities.
LORD JANNERMy Lords, does not the noble Lord appreciate that unless something definite is known about the position of these professional bodies, it places them in a serious position in the event, as I say, of this unhappy Bill becoming an Act? Should they not know exactly what their standing is in respect of the Charity Commissioners?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Janner, is putting the cart before the horse. The Charity Commissioners cannot review the position of these professional associations before they know in what form the law is likely to be placed on the Statute Book.
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, are we to understand from the Answer that has been given that professional institutions are to be allowed a privileged position and still be closed shops?
§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, I do not know how carefully the noble Lord, Lord Lindgren, has studied the position of those professional associations which are also registered as charities. There are very few of them—the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives are the most conspicuous—and their position is an unusual one, in that they were originally registered as charities and later took on negotiating functions as regards the wages and terms of employment of their members.