§ 16. Captain Duncanasked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to encourage the entry into the trade of slaughterhousemen in the increased numbers likely to be necessary under Her Majesty's Government's policy of moderate concentration of slaughterhouses in Great Britain; and what arrangement he is making for training such men.
§ Sir W. MoncktonWhile it is too early to say how the new policy for siting slaughterhouses will affect the number of slaughtermen required, the Joint Industrial Council for the industry has recently drawn up an apprenticeship scheme for young workers entering the industry.
§ Captain DuncanIs my right hon. and learned Friend aware that the National Farmers' Unions of England and Scotland are developing a tentative marketing scheme to take over from the Ministry of Food; that two prerequisites of that are sufficient slaughterhouses and sufficient slaughtermen; and that there is a shortage of both at the present moment. Will my right hon. and learned Friend deal with the slaughterhouse question?
§ Sir W. MoncktonSo far as the slaughterhouse question is concerned, the policy statement already made in this House does not involve a very large reduction in the number of slaughter points now being used by the Ministry of Food. But it does mean that there will be a considerable reduction on the pre-war figure of the number of slaughterhouses. It is too soon at present to know whether we shall need more than the scheme of which I spoke.
§ Mr. M. MacMillanWould the Minister consider grouping that answer with the answer to Questions Nos. 29 and 30?