Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what discussions (a) Ministers, and (b) senior officials in his Department had on the 1984 Cammell Laird shipyard dispute between 1997 and 2007 with (i) other Government departments, (ii) representatives of the GMB trade union, and (iii) other stakeholders; and if he will make a statement.

In respect of discussions within Government, by convention, whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside of Government. This protects the Law Officers’ ability as chief legal advisers to the Government to give full and frank legal advice.

In respect of discussions between the then Attorney Generals and officials and those outside of Government, I can confirm that we have no record of any discussions in relation to the 1984 Cammell Laird shipyard dispute between 1997 and 2007.