§ 40. Mr. CLYNESasked the Minister of Labour whether trainees in the pattern-making section of the Government Training Factory, Ayres Road, Brooks Bar, Manchester, are being discharged without any provision being made to find them posts as improvers; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to ensure that these men shall he in a position to earn a livelihood, and obviate any waste of the public money already spent on their training?
§ Mr. BETTERTONSeven men are in training in pattern-making at the Government Instructional Factory, Ayres Road, Manchester. Three are not due to leave till next January. Two of the others are leaving this month, and two next month. I gather that the question relates to these four men. Every possible effort is being made to find them posts as improvers in private workshops. For the last six months a special campaign has been carried out in Lancashire for the purpose of placing men in improver-ships in engineering, and, in spite of trade depression, over 60 openings have been secured and filled. I can assure the right hon. Member that every effort will continue to be made to find improverships for these men.
§ Mr. CLYNESCan the hon. Gentleman say that, apart from the persons named in the reply, other men have not been discharged?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNo, I am not in a position to say that.