reference were wide enough to permit it to function as consultant and adviser on a wide range of labour and social problems as they affect employers and trade unions and Government policies overseas. Lack of funds had been an impediment, but this had been remedied in 1971. The Committee would be considering the use that had been made of those funds.
Apologies for Absence
3.
Apologies for absence had been received from Mr MacGarvey, Mr Henniker-Heaton and Mr Davison. Mr Jones and Mr Briginshaw had been called at short notice to meet the Secretary of State for Employment and Mr Smith was unfortunately ill. The Secretary was instructed to convey to Mr Smith members' good wishes for his early recovery.
Order of Business
4. To facilitate business the agenda was taken in the following order: items 1, 2, 6, 4, 5 and 3. (For the sake of convenience, however, discussion on these items has been recorded below in numerical sequence).
Item 1: Report of the Aid Sub-Committee
5.
(Paper OLC (1974) 1).
Mr Foggon said that prior to 1971 the Sub-Committee had been inhibited by lack of funds. In many developing countries the field of industrial relations was a delicate area where Governments were reluctant to ask for outside intervention: in other cases Government accorded low priority to needs such as trade union training. In consequence, British assistance on the normal basis of a Government to Government application was on occasion not possible even though the scheme was basically worthwhile. The availability, from 1971 onwards, of a small vote in the ODM for expenditure on the advice of the Sub-Committee meant that a quick response could be made to worthwhile requests but, in every case, it was important to have at least the tacit assent of the Government concerned. One or two sensitive projects had for this reason to be set aside but the memorandum for this item showed what had been done. A considerable proportion had been spent on trade union training courses and for the very modest sum of £176 it had been possible to hold a useful meeting in London in 1972 of Commonwealth Trade Unionists to make a comprehensive review of workers' educational and training needs. A TUC educational expert had also paid a valuable and appreciated visit to Cyprus which it should be possible to follow up once normality was restored on the Island. Some help was also possible in respect of facilitating a visit to this country of trade unionists from South Africa for contacts with the TUC and others concerned with problems in South Africa (paragraph 20 below). It was important that the CBI should keep in mind that assistance was not confirmed to trade union education
Confined
2
/ and