§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (1) whether in her proposed Industrial Relations Bill she will give consideration to introducing penal clauses to fine employers who cause or take action to encourage strikes by their employees;
(2) whether she is aware that one of the causes of strikes is the need for workers to obtain increases in wages and salaries to off-set rises in the cost of living and in prices of consumer goods; and whether, in her forthcoming Industrial Relations Bill in any penal clause, she will seek to make fines payable by manufacturers and distributors who increase prices without first obtaining permission from her Department.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether, before preparing and publishing her Industrial Relations Bill, she will take the opportunity of sending an investigating team to Australia to ascertain how their Act has been operating during the past few months.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerNo.