§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Government's general policy with regard to industrial arbitration; whether the Government support the general policy that aggrieved persons or their trade unions should have the right to go to arbitration if disputes cannot be resolved by negotiations; and whether this applies to civil servants and their organisation the Society of Civil and Public Servants, executive and directing grades.
432W(2) what are the unemployment statistics, at the latest available date, for the travel-to-work areas in each of the development areas of Great Britain;
(3) what are the unemployment statistics, at the latest available date, for the travel-to-work areas in each of the assisted areas of Great Britain.
§ Mr. GoldingThe following table gives the numbers of people registered as unemployed at 9th March in the assisted areas of Great Britain, together with unemployment rates calculated for the travel-to-work areas which most closely correspond to the assisted areas. The figures for development areas include special development areas.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe Government recognise the importance of arbitration as a means of resolving disputes and accept the principle of independent arbitration in the Civil Service. However, successive Governments have always made clear that they reserve the right to refuse arbitration in relation to their own employees when major issues of policy are involved, because the Government are finally responsible to Parliament for the management of the Civil Service and cannot relieve themselves of the responsibility or share it with any other persons or organisation.