§ 141. Mr. Attewellasked the Minister of Health whether membership of a trade union will be required as a condition of employment in the National Health Service; and whether existing professional bodies will have representation in the machinery for the negotiation of remuneration and conditions of service.
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§ Mr. BevanNo. I hope that persons employed in the National Health Service will be encouraged to belong to their appropriate organisations, but it will not be a condition of employment, and there will be no pressure upon anyone to belong to any organisation, whether professional or trade union. With regard to the second part of the Question, arrangements for setting up Whitley machinery in the National Health Service are well advanced, and, for a large part of it, provisional employees' sides have already been set up. No fewer than 25 professional organisations are represented on these sides, and there is no truth in the suggestion that such organisations will not have representation as appropriate.