§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set up an independent inquiry into the state of industrial relations in the Post Office, involving specific reference to the situation during 1988 at the main post office in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthI very much regret the unofficial industrial action which led to disruption in the Melton Mowbray sorting office in November, but responsibility for resolving difficulties of this nature must rest with the Post Office management and employees. I am informed by the Post Office chairman, Sir Bryan Nicholson, that, following the recent national strike, he has set up a high-level industrial relations review team, which will include an independent industrial relations expert from outside the Post Office. The Post Ofice unions have been invited to contribute to the review, the report of which will incorporate the findings of a separate examination of the situation at Melton Mowbray.
722W(2) how many members of the Science and Engineering Research Council are professionally qualified (a) physicists, (b) biologists and (c) engineers.
Mr. JacksonThe Science and Engineering Research Council currently includes the following number of professionally qualified members in the categories requested:
Number Chemists 6 Physicists 6 Biologist 1 Engineers 3
§ Mr. AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many members of the administrative or support staff of the Science and Engineering Research Council are professionally qualified chemists;
(2) how many members of the administrative or support staff of the Science and Engineering Research Council are professionally qualified (a) physicists, (b) biologists and (c) engineers.
Mr. JacksonThe number of SERC staff, possessing professional qualifications (at least first degree or equivalent) in the categories requested, on 30 November 1988, was as follows: