§ Mr. Kirbyasked the Minister of Labour whether he appreciates that workpeople who successfully appeal under the Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act, 1944, cannot be granted legal costs by the committee before whom they appear and, as this adds to the hardship of those whose reinstatement has been delayed, if he will introduce legislation to remedy the position.
§ Mr. BevinNeither a worker nor his former employer is entitled to be awarded the cost of being legally represented before a Reinstatement Committee or the Umpire, but this does not seem to me to give rise to any particular hardship. Neither party need be legally represented on these occasions unless he chooses to do so. On the contrary, he is expressly empowered to conduct his own case or to be represented by his trade union or employers' organisation or by a relative or personal friend or, in the case of an employer, by a director, partner, manager or any member of his staff. In these circumstances I am unable to agree that further legislation is called for.