§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list in the Official Report a summary of the main recommendations of the report from the Sector Working Party Paper on the non-ferrous foundries industry listing the preliminary recommendations submitted to date, together with the action taken so far.
Mr. Alan WilliamsThe first report of the Sector Working Party, which made over 20 recommendations for action by Government, management and unions, has already been placed in the Library of the House. The following is a summary of the main recommendations put to Government together with an outline of the action taken so far.
Recommendations.—
- (a) The Government should give urgent consideration to how the temporary employment subsidy might be modified to meet the particular needs of small craft establishments;
- (b) A Government scheme of assistance should be provided for the industry at the earliest possible date, provisions of which should encourage the "upgrading" of production techniques to the best known standards;
- (c) State retirement pensions should be made available from age 60 when necessary to encourage early retirement as an alternative to redundancy.
Action.—Of these recommendations (c) is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services. The other two recommendations are under consideration, in the case of the proposed scheme of assistance with the co-operation of the industry through the Sector Working Party.