§ 19. Mr. Gowasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the total number of employees covered by closed shop agreements or arrangements, existing or proposed; and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last three years.
§ Mr. BoothInformation on which I could base such an estimate for the present and for the previous three years is not available to me.
§ 34. Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for Employment, in view of the recent industrial relations legislation concerned with the closed shop, what evidence he has that local authorities and public industries are now insisting that all contractors and sub-contractors enforce the closed shop principle: and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BoothI am not aware that local authorities and public industries are adopting such a practice. However, if they decide to include conditions concerning union membership of a contractor's or sub-contractor's employees as a term of444W a commercial contract, that is a matter for the parties to the contract. Such practices are not affected by recent industrial relations legislation relating to the closed shop.