§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the present dispute at the Tooting jobcentre, London S W.17.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAt its meeting on 26 April 1984, the Manpower Services Commission unanimously endorsed a broad strategy for the development of the employment service. As a prelude to further consideration of the detail of the proposals, the commission instructed its employment division to test some aspects as a matter of urgency.
The Government endorse the Manpower Services Commission's decision to test these proposals in a full and proper way and tests are at present proceeding in offices in London and the south west. It is regrettable, however, that trade unions representing Manpower Services Commission staff have refused to co-operate with the test in Tooting and that nine of the 14 in this office have gone on strike thereby denying the Commission the information it has requested.