§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's latest position with regard to the case at the European Commission of Human Rights of I. McL. Young and N. H. Jones and R. B. Webster against the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. MayhewHer Majesty's Government have received the report on the case which the Commission has referred to the European Court of Human Rights. A chamber of the Court has been constituted, but no date for a hearing has been set and Her Majesty's Government have yet to be asked by the Court for its submission on the case.
The report found that the previous Administration's legislation on the closed shop did not adequately protect the rights, under the convention, of the applicants in the case. We remain confident that the Employment Bill when enacted will, as we intend, fulfil the United Kingdom's obligations as a signatory to the convention.