§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will now advise all parties in the industrial dispute at Automat (Swinton) to use the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Services of his Department in order to arrive at peaceful solutions to all outstanding problems in this dispute; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThis dispute, which is now in its eighth month, must be speedily resolved. I have been approached by the Executive of the AUEW with a request to help bring the parties together to begin to discuss how this might best be attempted. I know that the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service would be very ready to convene a joint meeting if this were the wish of the company and the union. I hope, therefore, that there will be agreement to an early joint meeting under the chairmanship of the ACAS.