§ 2. Mr. GRANVILLE GIBSONasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that admission to training centres is limited almost entirely to depressed mining areas, she will consider an extension of the scheme to enable persons in other areas to have an opportunity of receiving such training in order to assist those men who by the accident of residence outside the mining areas are deprived of the benefits of the scheme?
§ Miss BONDFIELDOne of the objects of the centres at which men are trained 614 for other employment in this country is to assist in finding an opening for the marked surplus of labour in the depressed mining areas, and men from such areas must continue for the present to have a definite preference, but the facilities are by no means entirely confined to them. At a recent date, out of 3,596 men at these centres, 1,453 came from areas other than those scheduled as depressed mining areas. There is no corresponding restriction as regards training for overseas.
§ Mr. GIBSONWill the right hon. Lady give favourable consideration to a considerable extension of the system of training centres, in order to enable those who have been out of work for a long period, and who by the accident of residence are excluded from the scheme, to take advantage of those opportunities of training?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI am giving my closest consideration to those areas that are becoming depressed areas.
§ 5. Sir ALFRED LAWasked the Minister of Labour the location of training centres now established in the country, the capital sums expended on equipment, etc., the annual charges, and the number of trainees, men and women, respectively, on 31st January, 1930?
§ Miss BONDFIELDAs the reply to this question is somewhat long, I will, with the hon. Members permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL RFPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ Apart from the provision made for training juveniles, training centres established in the country and administered or financially assisted by the Ministry of Labour are as follow:
§ 1. Men.—A. For employment in this country:
§ Government Training Centres—Birmingham, Dudley, Wallsend, Bristol, Glasgow, Park Royal, Slough, Watford.
§ Transfer Instructional Centres—Blackpool, Carshalton, Fermyn Woods, Poole, Presteign.
§ B. For employment overseas:
§ Overseas Training Centres—Claydon,* Brandon,* Cranwich, High Lodge, West Tofts, Carstairs. *
§ * Include a limited number of training places for employment in this country.
615§ 2. Women:
§ Home Training Centres—Annfield Plain, Bishop Auckland, Blaydon, Blyth, Stockton, Gateshead, Jarrow, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, South Shields, Sunderland, Durham, Liverpool, Manchester, Wigan, Workington, Cardiff, Pontypridd, Hengoed, Ystrad, Mountain Ash, Aberdare, Pontypool, Maesteg, Abertillery, Swansea, Hamilton, Cowdenbeath, Glasgow, Chatham, Dover, Bristol, Leamington.
§ Overseas Hostels—Portobello Road, London; Newcastle, Millersneuk, Lenzie; Cardiff.
§ The capital sums expended on equipment, etc., amount in all to approximately £393,000, and the annual training charges to approximately £610,000.
§ The number of trainees in training on 31st January, 1930, was as follows:
| (1) Men: | |
| Government Training Centres | 2,912 |
| Transfer Instruction Centres | 892 |
| Overseas Training Centres | 868 |
| (2) Women: | |
| Home Training Centres | 1,135 |
| Overseas Hostels | 60 |