HL Deb 11 May 1972 vol 330 cc1130-1

3.21 p.m.

LORD WELLS-PESTELL

My 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 the Butterworth Inquiry will be making recommendations in respect of the Probation Service in time for the negotiations for a pay settlement operative from July 1, 1972.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS)

My Lords, I understand that it is unlikely that Mr. Butterworth's Report will be available before the latter part of August. But the Government accept that any settlement which is subsequently reached on the basis of the Report should have retrospective effect from July 1, this year.

LORD WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Viscount. May I ask him whether he will be good enough to ask his right honourable friend whether, in the event of an award being made following any recommendation which the Butterworth Inquiry may make, it will be made with some speed and will not interfere with the date upon which a future award can be considered?

VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS

Yes, my Lords. I certainly give the noble Lord the undertaking that we shall try to implement the award with speed. But there are interim provisions, anyway, because it will be open to the joint negotiating committee, who know about this situation, to see whether they would like to recommend to the Home Secretary that, if there is some need for an interim pay award to take place in conjunction with local authority staff, this could be done temporarily without prejudice to the outcome of the Butterworth Report. So I do not think we even have to wait for the Report itself before something can be done for the Service.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the assurance which the noble Viscount has given appears to be quite satisfactory. Can he also give an assurance that the delay in the presentation of this Report will not hold up any just settlement on the Inner London weighting allowance dispute?

VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS

My Lords, I attempted to deal with the Inner London weighting allowance last week. We are still pressing hard on this. I can assure the noble Lord that nobody has gone to sleep, and we are very much awake and alive to the situation and to the urgency of it.