Orders of the Day — Unemployment

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 July 1978.

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Photo of Mr Harold Walker Mr Harold Walker , Doncaster 12:00, 24 July 1978

We now know where the hon. Gentleman, at least, stands. He would be in favour of the exemptions, and I gather from what he says that he would be in favour of the resurrection of the whole of the Industrial Relations Act. Some people are incapable of learning from history. But I take the silence of the Opposition Front Bench as assent to the proposals which I read out—that in some inner city areas there should be exemption from the provisions of the Act, that people under the age of 21 should be excluded and that workers in firms employing fewer than 50 people would be, excluded.

I am prepared to give way to the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth if he will tell us frankly and straightforwardly whether those are the changes which the Tories propose or whether he will suggest, as his hon. Friend the Member for Chingford did, that we should wait and see. Otherwise, I shall get on with my own speech.