§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations his Department has received in each month since May 1979 asking him to include a clause in the Employment Bill to outlaw the closed shop; and how many of these representations came from small businesses, large firms, trades unionists and private individuals.
§ Mr. MayhewI informed my hon. Friend on 20 December 1979 that, in all, several hundred representations had been received asking for the abolition of the closed shop.—[Vol. 976, c. 299.] Some further representations to that effect have been received since then, but that description of the overall position continues to apply. I regret that it is not possible—without involving disproportionate costs—to sub-divide these representations into the categories requested, or assign them to their month of receipt. The vast majority of these representations seem to have come from private individuals.