Night Baking (Legislation) (Hansard, 24 July 1952)

§ Sir W. Monckton

The Government have given very full consideration to the recommendations of the Committee and have decided to accept them in principle with certain modifications. Subject to46W the requirements of the legislative programme, the Government will introduce legislation for the purpose at a convenient opportunity. I am circulating below a fuller statement on the Government's attitude: The Government have given very full consideration to the recommendations of the Committee, and I should like to express their thanks to the Committee for making a most careful and valuable examination of the problem. In reaching a decision on this matter, the Government have also taken careful account of the comments which all sides of the baking industry have furnished on the Committee's proposals. The House will be aware that the abolition of night baking is a problem of a very long standing and has been the subject of two inquiries since 1919, neither of which led to a solution. While only a minority of baking operatives are engaged on night work and only 14,000–17,000 operatives work permanently at night, the Government recognise that these workers, particularly the latter, suffer certain hardship which if possible ought to be alleviated. The recommendations of the Rees Committee, which were unanimous, represent a compromise between the extremes of total abolition of night work and the continuance of the present system. They have the advantage of flexibility and take account of the differing needs of the various sections of the baking industry. The Government believe that the adoption of the recommendations would remove the worst hardships arising from continuous night work, and that given goodwill they could for the most part be made to work without detriment to this important industry or to the public which it serves. The Government therefore accept the recommendations in principle and, subject to the requirements of the legislative programme, will introduce legislation at a convenient opportunity to give effect to them with certain modifications. They propose that this legislation should apply to the whole of Great Britain. Where, however, an effective voluntary national agreement exists between the two sides of the baking industry, the terms of which, in the view of the Minister of Labour, eliminate the need for legislative restriction of night baking so far as the parties to that agreement are concerned, provision will be made to exempt those parties from the scope of the legislation. This will both render the application of the legislation unnecessary where there is effective agreement and will also, it is hoped, stimulate the conclusion of effective voluntary agreements where none now exists. The Government also think it essential to give the industry sufficient time to prepare for the changes which legislation will entail. The Committee proposed an interval of two years between the passing of legislation and its coming into force. The Government appreciate that this period may not be enough and the proposed legislation will therefore allow it to be extended to three years if necessary. 47W In addition, the Government recognise that the recommendations may cause some difficulties for three-shift plant bakeries. They are therefore prepared to discuss with both sides of the Industry the desirability of a modification of the recommendations which would meet the position of this type of bakery without derogating from the basic principle that no baker should work at night more than half his time. They will also be very ready to receive the views of the industry when they come to draft the detailed provisions of the proposed legislation. In addition to these exceptions, the Government will, of course, give effect to all the exemptions proposed by the Committee. This will mean, inter alia, that master bakers will be excluded from the scope of the legislation. The Government in taking this decision are making a sincere effort to dispose once and for all of a problem which has occupied this House on many occasions in the past, and which has done much to hinder the development of really satisfactory relationships in the baking industry. It is, therefore, their earnest hope that both sides of the industry will co-operate fully in the steps which they propose to take.