HC Deb 24 June 1975 vol 894 cc118-20W
Mr. Lipton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will ensure that all payments by the Horserace Betting Levy Board in respect of schemes and activities he has approved under Section 25 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 which are paid to the members of the Newmarket Trainers' Federation shall be subject to the principle that whenever members of that federation are individually or collectively involved in an industrial dispute they will accept the principle of conciliation and arbitration;

(2) whether he will ensure that all schemes and activities approved by him under Section 25 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 shall contain the principle that whenever industrial disputes involving recipients of financial assistance from the Horserace Betting Levy Board occur the continuance of such assistance shall depend upon the acceptance of arbitration as a method of settling the dispute;

(3) whether, in view of the refusal of the Newmarket Trainers Federation to agree to refer to arbitration the dispute between the federation and the Transport and General Workers Union representing the stable lads at Newmarket, he will request the Horserace Betting Levy Board to withhold all payments made in accordance with Section 25(2)(d) of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 which accrue directly or indirectly to members of the federation until such time as the principle of arbitration is accepted by the Newmarket Trainers' Federation.

(4) whether he will request the Horse-race Betting Levy Board when seeking his approval to schemes and activities under Section 25 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, to accept the principle that any industrial disputes involving employees in the racing industry which cannot be resolved between parties concerned shall be referred to the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

Dr. Summerskill

No. A comprehensive scheme for payments by the board was approved by the then Home Secretary in 1970 under Section 25(2)(d) of the 1963 Act. My right hon. Friend has no power to impose new conditions to a scheme once approval has been given, or to require further schemes to be submitted. It was never envisaged by Parliament, when the Horserace Betting Levy scheme was instituted, that the board's powers should be used in such a way as to involve it in industrial issues of this kind; nor does the constitution of the board, which is prescribed by statute, fit it for such a rôle.

Mr. Kinnock

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what sums were paid out of the total expenditure of £367,000 in 1973–74 by the Horse-race Betting Levy Board under the Racehorse Transport Allowance Scheme, in respect of racehorses trained by members of the Newmarket Trainers' Federation; (2) what sums paid by the Horserace Betting Levy Board in respect of activities and schemes approved by him under Section 25 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963, are paid direct to, or accrue to, members of the Newmarket Trainers' Federation; (3) what percentage of the prize money was paid to members of the Newmarket Trainers Federation from monetary contributions collected by the Horserace Betting Levy Board under Section 24 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 during the levy period 1st April 1974 to 31st March 1975 and from 1st April 1975 to date.

Dr. Summerskill

I regret that this information is not readily available, and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Mr. Kinnock

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the cost of producing the Joint Racing Board Report of the committee of inquiry into the manpower of the racing industry was paid out of the monetary contributions collected by the Horserace Betting Levy Board under Section 24 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963; and whether this expenditure was approved by him under Section 25 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963.

Dr. Summerskill

This inquiry cost Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963. £3,256, half of which was met by the levy board. The then Home Secretary signed, in 1970, a comprehensive instrument of approval, in pursuance of Section 25(2) (d) of the 1963 Act, covering expenditure of this kind.