CAB128-94_A1b — Page 69

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1. The Cabinet were informed of the business to be taken in the House of Commons in the following week, and of the proposal that, subject to the progress of business, the House should rise for the summer adjournment on Friday 28 July until Tuesday 17

October.

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THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY said that in the coming week it would be necessary to seek to reverse in the use of Commons an amendment passed in the House of Lords to Social Security Bill which linked increases in Child Benefit ncreases in Family Credit. The amendment would result in icant additional expenditure on Child Benefit the cost is year's uprating of benefit would have been £675 million higher if the provision had been in force at the time of the uprating but reversing it was likely to prove difficult. was grateful for the help of the Lords Business Managers in handling the ill, but the difficulties encountered in the House of Lords(had meant that concessions had had to be made in relation

amendments which were undesirable on policy grounds.

problems had arisen in the Lords in relation ernment Bills, which made the satisfactory

policy very difficult.

to some other planning of Govern

THE PRIME MINISTER, such events, which revive questions abo relation to financial

He

ming up a short discussion, said that pame much too frequent, were bound to powers of the House of the Lords in

CONFIDENTIAL

The Cabinet

Took note.

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small size, to continue operating. This

HOME AFFAIRS

Abolition of the Dock Labour Scheme

Previous Reference: CC(89) 24.2

2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EMPLOYMENT said that strike action had started the previous Monday in former Scheme ports.

verpool, Hull and

Yerpool, Hull and

Although the action had been strongly supported in the older, larger former Scheme ports such as Tilbury Southampton, nationally about 1,000 former registered dock workers had reported for work and their e

together with

the efforts of management had allowed 18orts not all of

General Workers Union (TGWU) had hoped

comprehensive response to the strike call than the

sport and

this would have on the development of the strike.

Government had predicted, and it remained to be seen whe effect

for

factor would be the extent to which flying pickets werab

operate and this needed to be watched very closely, there had been no sign of such activity so far. the ports of Southampton and the Grimsby-Immingham complex likely to be an important indicator as to the likely outcome

Developme

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