§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the form of consultation with the trade union movement on legislative proposals regarding picketing.
§ Mr. MayhewMy right hon. Friend and his colleagues hope to have a series of meetings with representatives of the TUC to discuss all the Government's legislative proposals in the field of industrial relations, including picketing.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if his legislative proposals on picketing include measures to prevent injury to pickets, such as those occurring during the recent lorry drivers strike; and if such proposals will be included in consultations with the trade union movement.
§ Mr. MayhewThe criminal law already forbids the deliberate inflicting of injury, save in reasonable self-defence.
The civil law already provides a remedy not only for injury deliberately caused, but also for injury caused by negligence.
We shall certainly wish to discuss with the TUC how we can best ensure that any picketing is carried out peacefully and within the law, so as to avoid risk of injury to pickets or to anyone else.