§ 5. Major-General Sir Alfred Knoxasked the Minister of Labour how many training centres for disabled ex-service men now exist; and the total number of men who can undergo training at one time?
§ Mr. BevinSeparate training centres are not at present provided for disabled ex-Service men, but facilities for them are provided in 18 Government training centres, supplemented by three residential centres run by voluntary organisations 833 with financial assistance from my Department, and by 57 technical colleges. There are 771 disabled ex-Service men at present in training, and additional training places are available for such men, so far as these may be needed.
§ Sir A. KnoxDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider the facilities for training these men sufficient, considering the large number of casualties we may have?
§ Mr. BevinWe have made provision for expansion, but I am against separate disablement training centres, except for special cases. I think that it is preferable to train disabled men with able-bodied workmen, rather than to isolate them.
§ Mr. HiggsDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider that he has given sufficient encouragement to manufacturers to train these men themselves?
§ Mr. BevinI should be grateful if manufacturers would come forward in their hundreds to help me in this way.
§ Major LeightonAre these men being trained alongside of able-bodied men, or separately?
§ Mr. BevinIt depends on the particular case. In the main, they are being trained alongside able-bodied men or in separate parts of the same training centres, the idea being to associate them with able-bodied men, to make them forget their own condition. We regard this as the best way.