§ Mr. Gowasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees of the National Coal Board, British Rail, British Gas, the electricity supply industry and the General Post Office, to whom he referred in his reply to the hon. Member for Eastbourne on 20th January, are subject to closed shop agreements; and what were the comparable figures in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. BoothI estimate that, very approximately, 850,000 employees in the five industries mentioned are within grades covered by closed shop agreements or arrangements, existing or proposed—although not all such employees will necessarily be required to join a union. Comparable figures for preceding years are not available. My Department tries to keep itself informed about developments relating to closed shop agreements, but we do not require employers and unions to submit detailed information about the existence, scope or terms of such agreements.