§ 46. Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many meetings she has had in 1968 with employers and trades unions to discuss the question of equal pay for work of equal value in regard to women's pay; and what progress has been made.
§ Mrs. CastleI met representatives of the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress personally last July in separate meetings to outline proposals for preparing a phased programme of implementation. These meetings were followed by several meetings at official level which resulted in agreement on the details of a joint inquiry currently being undertaken into the cost of equal pay in particular industries which all parties agreed were essential to further discussions. I will be resuming personal discussions after the results of the inquiry become available in two to three months' time.