§ 95. Mr. G. Campbellasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he requested that the negotiations on the salaries of local government employees in Scotland should follow, rather than precede, the negotiations for equivalent staff in England and Wales concluded last July.
§ Mr. RossNo such request was made. It has been the general practice for negotiations between employers and employees in Scottish local government to take place in the light of what has been happening in the same field in England and Wales.
§ Sir M. Galpernasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if, in view of the representations made by both the employers' and staff sides of the National Joint Industrial Council for Local Authority Services (Scotland) to bring the negotiated salary increases into effect on 16th March, he will now take action to review his decision to postpone payment of the increases.
§ Mr. RossI have been asked to reply.
154WI regret that there is nothing I can add to the Answer I gave on 2nd February to the hon. Members for Dumfries (Mr. Monro) and Fife, East (Sir J. Gilmour). I have arranged to meet representatives of the employers' and employees' side of the Council next week at their request.—[Vol. 740, c. 159–60.]
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has now received regarding the Government's decision to forbid payment of the wage increase due to local government employees in Scotland; and what reply he has sent.
§ Mr. RossAs regards the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 15th February to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire. The following statement of the Government's decision is being sent in reply to representations. "As the Secretary of State has explained in the House of Commons, it has been customary for Scottish local authorities to make pay agreements separately from and later than those in England and Wales. The English and Welsh agreement was not settled until 13th July and since the Scottish negotiations were following their normal pattern they were not concluded before the date of the standstill, i.e., 20th July, 1966.
In introducing the standstill it was necessary for the Government to draw a clear line. Paragraph 24 of Command 3073 (White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill) made it clear that no new agreements should be made after 20th July, 1966, to take effect before 1st January, 1967, and that they should not take effect even in the first six months of 1967 unless they could be justified as falling within the criteria for the period of severe restraint. These criteria were subsequently published as Command 3150 (White Paper on the Prices and Incomes Standstill: Period of Severe Restraint); this also makes it clear that the only other pay increases which can take effect during the first half of 1967 are commitments existing at 20th July, 1966, which have already been deferred for six months, or commitments entered into by 20th July, 1966, for a pay review with an effective date on or before 20th July, 1966. The English agreement qualified as 155W an existing commitment (though subject to a six months' deferment) but there is no commitment for Scottish staffs which satisfies the requirements of the two White Papers.
Any special treatment for Scottish Local Government Officers which did not accord with decisions made on other groups of workers would arouse justifiable resentment among these groups. An announcement on the amounts of pay increase for Scottish Local Government Staff, and the date of implementation will be made as soon as possible."—[Vol. 741, c. 104–105.]
§ Sir F. Macleanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the decision of Rothesay Town Council to pay to their employees the pay increase due on 16th March; and whether he will undertake not to interfere between the Council and their employees.
§ Mr. RossAs this decision appears to conflict with the Government's prices and incomes policy representatives of the Town Council have been invited to discuss it with my officials.