§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Employment, in view of the decision in W. H. Allen and Co. Ltd. v. the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (report No. 68), whether he will seek to revise the Employment Protection Acts 1975 to 1978 to enable professional technical bodies to be formed if the majority of workers in an establishment favour them although they may be opposed by Trades Union Congress affiliated unions of long standing.
§ Mr. MayhewThe Acts do not prevent the formation of such bodies. In the W. H. Allen case, which concerns the operation of the recognition provisions of the 1975 Act, ACAS has appealed against the decision of the Court of Appeal. That appeal has, I understand, yet to be heard. I have received representations about the statutory recognition provisions from professional bodies, and these are being carefully considered.