§ 3.8 p.m.
§ Lord Dean of BeswickMy Lords. I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their present policy on the appointment of trade union representatives to supplementary benefit appeal tribunals and other such bodies.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Glenarthur)My Lords, at present, one of the members of a supplementary benefit appeal tribunal is a trade union representative. Clause 9 of the Health and Social Security Bill now in another place proposes that members of the new social security appeal 597 tribunals should be drawn from a single panel representative of people living and working in the area. We hope that trades unions will continue to be well represented on the panel of members.
§ Lord Dean of BeswickMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply, and in order to assist the House I shall be brief. Can the noble Lord give an undertaking that the trade union movement will receive deep and sympathetic consideration in future proposals by way of their retaining rights that have been granted in the past by successive Governments regarding this matter?
§ Lord GlenarthurMy Lords, of course representation by trade union members is important: but so also is flexibility to overcome delays that have been caused by the shortage of trade union members in some cases. The new legislation should give sufficient flexibility to avoid these problems in the future.