§ Mr. Thorpeasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now use his good offices to ask the Conciliation and Arbitration Service to intervene in the dispute between the six members of the Electricity Supply Union at the Ferrybridge Power Station and the Electricity Council, and ensure that the dismissed men are in receipt of unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. BoothIn accordance with the normal procedures in such cases, conciliation officers of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service have endeavoured to promote a settlement of the complaints of unfair dismissal which the men have made against the Central Electricity Generating Board. They have not been successful. I understand that an industrial tribunal hearing of the complaints is to start on 3rd December.
All claims for unemployment benefit are decided by independent authorities appointed under the Social Security Acts and claims by these men are at present being considered by those authorities. No Minister has power to intervene in the process of adjudication on claims to benefit.