HC Deb 19 March 1981 vol 1 c185W
56. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list his engagements for Thursday 12 March; to what extent he kept his full list of public engagements as made before and up to Wednesday 11 March; why he cancelled his engagement for Thursday 12 March with the North West Trades Union Congress and trade union leaders in Liverpool; what engagement he held in place of this appointment; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Prior

On the morning of Thursday 12 March I attended Cabinet and other ministerial meetings. My programme for the rest of the day, which involved travelling to Liverpool for a meeting with the North-West regional council of the TUC and the Merseyside industries dinner, had to be altered because of urgent Government business which kept me in London. I attempted to rearrange the meeting with the regional TUC for the following morning, failing which a date has now been fixed for me to meet it in London at the beginning of April.