17. Miss Wardasked the Minister of Labour whether in future consideration will be given to married men, irrespective of families, desirous of taking a course at a Government training centre?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAs my hon. Friend knows, married men are not excluded from opportunities of training, but I am afraid it would not be practicable or fair to the unemployed man himself to leave his personal circumstances out of account in considering whether or not a course of training would be likely to help him.
Miss WardCould my hon. Friend give an assurance that in future the question of married men who have large families and who desire to have training shall have special consideration, so that they shall not be left as unskilled unemployed permanently? It is a very important matter to married men.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAs the hon. Lady knows, we have had a lot of correspondence on the subject. At the end of his training a man must eventually be in a position to maintain himself and family on the rates of wages that he may be given, and I can assure her that all the things that she is anxious about will be considered.
§ Miss WilkinsonIs it not the fact that the real trouble is that the Government trainees from these training centres are being used as cheap labour, and that, therefore, it is not possible for a married man to maintain his wife and family on the actual wages offered to these trainees?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI cannot accept that at all, and I do not think that people regard these men in this way.
§ Miss WilkinsonIs it not quite clear from the trade union that has petitioned the Minister that they are being so used?
Miss WardCould not my hon. Friend take into consideration the question of wages to be paid to married men?