§ Mr. HUDSONasked whether an agreement arrived at by a railway sectional or central conciliation board, under the arrangements drawn up by the Board of Trade in 1907, can be reopened on the expiry of one year from the date of the agreement, or must it remain in force for the full period specified by the agreement?
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked: (1) Whether, in the case of a Scottish railway company, his Board can give an interpretation of the conciliation scheme, or any point arising out of it, without an application being made to the Lord President of the Court of Session, and even, although the company or the employés may have asked the Lord President for an interpretation; and (2) whether a railway central conciliation board has power to enter into an agreement which shall be in force for a period of years exceeding that for which the members of the board have been elected?
Mr. BUXTONThe only points which the Board of Trade are entitled to decide under the Railway Conciliation Agreement are questions of the interpretation of the scheme for conciliation between the various railway companies and their employés. The schemes provide that if such a question arises it is to be decided by the Board of Trade, or, at the request of either party, by the Master of the Rolls, or, in the case of a Scottish railway, by the Lord President of the Court of Session. Thus, if on any point of interpretation either party prefers to appeal to the Master of the Rolls or the Lord President, the question is taken out of the hands of the Board of Trade: In any case, the Board of Trade could only give an interpretation after giving both parties an opportunity to be heard, and in these circumstances I cannot properly deal with the question of interpretation in reply to questions in this House.