asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the names of the industries in respect of which the Committee on Industrial Organisation recommended the establishment of adaptation councils; which of these councils have been established and the number of meetings held by each; and what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the adaptation councils.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Adaptation Councils.
48.
The CIO recommended the establishment of Adaptation Councils by 16 of the 17 industries on which they have published reports to date. The 16 industries are:
Cotton, Shirtmaking, Hosiery and Knitwear, Mantles and Gowns, Women's and Girl's Readymade Clothing, Miscellaneous Wearing Apparel, Leather Footwear, Pottery and China, Paper and Paperboard, Printing, Fertilisers, Chemicals, Iron and Steel Manufactures, Electrical Equipment, Wireless and Television, Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery.
Some of these industries have advanced special reasons why councils would not be appropriate in their cases while, in other cases, it was decided that councils giving a somewhat different coverage from that of the surveys were desirable. The present position is that thirteen councils have been established for the following industries:
Cotton, Hosiery and Knitwear, Shirtmaking, Mantles and Gowns, Gloves, Leather Footwear, Furniture, Paper and Paperboard, Structural Steel, Iron Foundry, Paint, Pharmaceuticals, Pottery and China.
In addition, the printing industry has decided to set up a council and the motor assembly industry has formed a special committee for the purpose of maintaining liaison with my Department in relation to its particular problems. Other industries have the question of a council under consideration.
The councils are independent organisations and my Department does not, therefore, keep a record of the meetings held by them. However, the practice of several councils is to meet at least once a month.
In October 1962, I set up the Industrial Reorganisation Branch within my Department to secure, as far as possible, the speedy implementation by industry of the recommendations in the CIO reports. The Branch makes contact with the various industries as soon as the survey reports become available in draft from to urge and assist them in every way possible to establish councils.
The implementation of the recommendations of an adaptation council is a matter primarily for the council itself and for the firms in its industry but of course the Industrial Reorganisation Branch keeps in close touch with the arrangements which the councils are making.