HL Deb 16 May 1923 vol 54 cc234-5
LORD RAGLAN

My Lords, I wish to ask His Majesty's Government—

  1. 1. What percentage of men leaving the Colours will receive vocational training, and what average percentage of the men on the home establishment; will be engaged in receiving such training.
  2. 2. What attitude towards such men has been adopted by the trade unions concerned, and whether any communications have passed between the War Office and these unions.
  3. 3. The numbers and trades of the Hounslow students who have found employment.

THE EARL OF CLARENDON

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Derby, who has had to attend a Cabinet meeting and is unable to be present, has asked me to reply to this Question addressed to the War Office. With regard to the first part of the noble Lord's Question, the present establishment of the two Army vocational training centres can provide training for a maximum of three per cent. of those who leave the Colours annually. The average percentage of men on home establishment being trained at any one time will be under one per cent. Training at an Army vocational training centre, to the cost of which the trainees materially contribute, is a reward for good Army service. It is given only to small numbers of those who by general education and manual skill have shown they can benefit by the intensive courses. It is to be the culmination of two or three hours a week spent at manual and vocational training in garrisons spread over a period of years.

The reply to the noble Lord's second Question is that the Ministry of Labour, Board of Education, and Ministry of Agriculture have all sent representatives to inspect the work. There have been various unofficial meetings with trade union officials, and no opposition has been met with. Wide publicity in the Press and several speeches in another place have brought no hostile comment from trade unions. As regards the third part of the noble Lord's Question, as the scheme has only recently received official sanction, detailed statistics are not available. As stated in the answer given on May 9, 70 per cent. of the trainees, amounting to 2,000 men, got immediate employment from the school during the time that it was conducted as an experimental command school. The chief trades taught were building trades, furniture renovation, gardening, and smallholding.