§ Mr. Adleyasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement following her meeting with the independent steel producers.
§ The Prime MinisterI met representatives of the British Independent Steel Producers Association on 5 February 1980. Although there is no dispute between them and their employees, the ISTC has called a strike which is causing grave damage to their companies and could jeopardise jobs. They stressed that the law in its present state gives them no protection whatsoever. I explained that the Government shared their concern about the wide immunity the law now affords for calling secondary picketing, that the Employment Bill already contained provisions to protect employers against secondary picketing, and that the Government intended to bring forward further proposals for amending the law on immunities.