§ 7. Mr. Robert Gibsonasked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement regarding unemployment in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry in the Greenock area and in the country generally?
§ Mr. E. BrownI am in consultation with the organisations of employers and workpeople in the shipbuilding and ship repairing industry on the general problem of labour supply. The absorption of suitable unemployed workers registered in shipbuilding and ship repairing occupations is one of the questions under discussion, and both employers' and work-peoples' representatives have undertaken 290 to co-operate with my Department in a special examination of the industrial capacity of such men.
§ Mr. GibsonIs the right hon. Gentleman having a review made of the men unemployed in this industry, particularly in Greenock, and for the purpose of finding out how many have been unemployed for a long time, and who really do not belong to this industry; and is he taking special measures in such cases to train the men for employment?
§ Mr. BrownIn the consultations to which I have referred, a specific examination is being made of these matters, not merely in Greenock but in every place concerned.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhen does the Minister expect to be able to make a statement as to the number of unemployed shipyard workers who have been absorbed in the shipuilding industry?
§ Mr. BrownI have made a number of statistics available. There is very rapid absorption of unemployed shipbuilding workers.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs not the Minister aware that the last available figures showed that more than 16,000 shipyard workers were unemployed? Is not that unsatisfactory?
§ Mr. ShinwellThose are later figures.