§ 54. WILFRID SUGDENasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the numbers of unemployed persons between the ages of 14 and 18, and state how many of the Employment Exchanges are instituting educational programmes to deal with the same; what arrangements for technical instruction in day continuation classes obtain in industrial areas; and will he state the number of towns and cities so operating?
§ Mr. BETTERTONAs the answer is somewhat long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir W. SUGDENMay I ask my hon. Friend to represent to the Minister of Labour that he will closer collaborate with the Minister of Education, in order to see that a speeding-up process should obtain between the technical authorities and the Board, in order that these youths should be provided with a proper opportunity of preserving their trade training and general morale?
§ Mr. BETTERTONOn 1st June, there were 62,300 boys. I will certainly represent that to my right hon. Friend, but I may say that he is already in close collaboration with the Minister of Education.
§ The reply is as follows:
§ On 1st June there was 62,300 boys and girls registered for employment at Employment Exchanges and Juvenile Employment Bureaux in Great Britain. As regards "educational programmes," I assume that the hon. Member has in mind juvenile unemployment centres operated by local education authorities, of which, on 29th May, 122 in 40 towns were open, four in four towns were approved but not open, and eight in eight towns were under consideration by the local education authorities concerned.
§ As regards the third and fourth parts of the question, I am informed by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Education that there are part-time day continuation schools or classes in London in 15 county boroughs and in 25 large or small towns in county areas. The majority of these schools and classes outside Greater London are for young persons who are actually in employment, and, except in such special cases as day classes for trade apprentices, the instruction tends to be general rather than technical. In London, where the day continuation schools are largely attended by young persons who have not been employed, some attempts are being made to give a preliminary training in connection with the employment desired by the young persons.
§ As regards Scotland, I am informed that day continuation classes are held in two of the large burghs and seven of the towns in county areas, in addition to a number of isolated classes in single subjects conducted in various parts of the country. These are, in general, for persons in employment and are chiefly of a technical or commercial nature, but it is, of course, open to unemployed persons to attend them.