HL Deb 25 June 1975 vol 361 cc1387-8

2.45 p.m.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

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 agreement exists between the Government, CBI and TUC on what constitutes the end of the annual cycle of pay negotiations.

The MINISTER of STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (Lord Hughes)

My Lords, the annual pay round is traditionally regarded as ending in the summer, but it has never been necessary to agree a precise date.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, is it not now important to establish publicly when the new annual round of pay negotiations begins so that a reduced percentage increase can be the aim of settlements without any group thinking it has been left behind? Should this not be related to the expected new Government economic measures, and can the noble Lord tell us when in the next five weeks these measures are to be announced?

Lord HUGHES

My Lords, pay negotiations of course take place through- out the year, but there is a short period during the summer and following the union conferences when few major negotiations take place, and this is usually regarded as the watershed between pay rounds. That is approximately the month of July. As for the second part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I do not think I can add anything to what has been stated by my right honourable friends during the last two days.

Lord BLYTON

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that there must be continuous applications for wage increases if the CBI refuses to agree to the statutory control of prices? How can we expect workers to accept wage restraint if there is no statutory control of prices?

Lord HUGHES

My Lords, meetings have been taking place between the TUC and the CBI. They met last Tuesday, and I understand that they met again yesterday to discuss these problems. The Government welcome any such exchange of views which complement their own discussions with both of these bodies, and we await the outcome of their discussions with interest.

Lord LLOYD of KILGERRAN

My Lords, would it not be helpful if the negotiations of the kind envisaged in this Question included not only the parties mentioned in the Question but the leaders of the Liberal and Conservative Parties?

Lord HUGHES

My Lords, that is altogether a different question, and it is not for me to pronounce judgment on such a wide-ranging, matter.

Lord WALLACE of COSLANY

My Lords, is the Minister aware that that supplementary question from the noble Lord, Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran, comes ill from the Liberal Party, when yesterday in another place they tried to reintroduce a statutory incomes policy?

Lord HUGHES

My Lords, it is not for me to question the motives of the Liberal Party.