§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Paymaster General what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of unemployment upon the pattern of collective bargaining over the past seven years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1987, c. 255]: Information from the new earnings survey and workplace industrial relations surveys undertaken by my Department suggests that during recent years, collective bargaining patterns have been little influenced by levels of unemployment.