§ Mr. Sutcliffeasked the Minister of Health the present position with regard to the scheme of conditions of service recently adopted by the National Joint Council for local authorities, administrative, professional, technical and clerical services; and if he will make arrangements for public authorities to be given a suitable opportunity to discuss this particular scheme.
§ Mr. Bevan:The position is that all local authorities to whom the scheme applies were furnished with copies of the scheme by the National Joint Council, when the two sides of that council had agreed upon it. I am not sure what is meant by the last part of the hon. Member's Question, since in fact local authorities have an opportunity to discuss the scheme before deciding whether to adopt it. In making a decision, they will no doubt bear in mind the representative character of the Joint Industrial Council.