HL Deb 14 May 1986 vol 474 cc1137-8

2.50 p.m.

Lord Harmar-Nicholls

My 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 whether the appropriate government departments were ever informed of the result of the ballot for or against the privatisation of the gas industry organised by the National Association of Local Government Officers (NALGO), of which approximately 50 per cent. of all gas employees are members.

Lord Gray of Contin

My Lords, we are of course aware that NALGO held a ballot in March among its British Gas members, proposing that they take industrial action against our proposal to return British Gas to the private sector. The members voted against industrial action. I applaud their good sense, for they must recognise that privatisation will be good for the industry and good for those working in it.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, I am most surprised that the noble Lord, Lord Harmar-Nicholls, has not asked a supplementary question. In the light of the Answer that he has given, I hope that the Minister will disown the attempt by the noble Lord, Lord Harmar-Nicholls, to use the Order Paper to mislead the House. Noble Lords will note that the ballot asked members of NALGO whether they would take industrial action, not whether they were for or against gas privatisation—and that is quite a different question.

Is the noble Lord aware that in November last year a Gallup poll was taken among the British nation, asking whether or not people were in favour of gas privatisation? Of those who answered, 57 per cent. said that they were against privatisation. Under those circumstances will the noble Lord now drop the Bill?

Lord Gray of Contin

My Lords, I should have thought that the action taken so far as the NALGO ballot was concerned, and the silence from NALGO since then, spoke volumes in themselves.

Lord Harmar-Nicholls

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that if anybody has tried to use Question Time to spit out propoganda, it has been the noble Lord who has just asked a question?

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

Not at all, my Lords!