§ MR. CREMER (Shoreditch, Haggerston)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will instruct the Labour Bureau to prepare, for the information of the House and the country, a Return of the number of skilled artizans and mechanics engaged in the leading industries of the country who have acquired a knowledge of their various crafts by means of indentured apprenticeships?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.)(who replied) said: It would be impossible accurately to ascertain the number of workmen who have been trained under indentures, without a special Census of all the artizans and mechanics in the United Kingdom, which the Labour Bureau has no statutory powers of enforcing. I am informed that the system of indentured apprenticeships has for many years been gradually falling into disuse, although it is still, to a very limited extent, in existence.
§ MR. CREMERsaid, the Labour Bureau was in touch with organized bodies of working men, and he thought the information might be obtained by means of such organizations.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHsaid, that was a very much smaller question than was implied in the one in print. He thought the number of artizans with whom the Labour Bureau was in communication amounted to not more than 140,000. Of course, the statistics relating to so small a number would be comparatively of very little value. He would communicate with Mr. Burnett on the subject.