§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if any local education authorities have, either imposed or have considered imposing closed shops in further and higher education;
(2) whether he considers that he has sufficient powers to prevent closed shops in further and higher education from adversely affecting the education service.
§ Dr. BoysonMy right hon. and learned Friend would deplore the incursion of any closed shop agreement into the education service but has no power to intervene in such agreements. Those must be for negotiation locally, subject to the relevant legal constraints, between employers and branches of the trade union recognised by those employers. The Department does not collect information on any regular basis about the extent or character of such agreements, but I understand that in the Leeds and Wakefield cases which attracted attention during the last year or two there are now no closed shop agreements in operation for teachers.