§ 4 and 5. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Labour (1) the total number of employees wanted by the pottery industry; and the numbers for each principal type of operation that are required;
(2) what action he is taking to recruit the employees required by the pottery industry.
§ Mr. WatkinsonOn 24th January, the number of workers for whom vacancies had been notified was 1,284, including 328 ware makers and 690 decorators. During the last three months 1,562 workers, including 361 ware makers and 339 decorators were placed in the industry and the employment exchanges will continue to submit others as they become available.
§ Mr. Ellis SmithDoes the Minister. in particular, and the Government, in general, still consider this industry a very important industry for export and home needs, and, if so, does not the Parliamentary Secretary think that the industry should be given priority; and can he say what action is being taken to satisfy the needs of the industry?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI thank the hon. Member for bringing this matter to our attention. It is an example of the sort of ups and downs we suffer in this very critical economic climate, and the difficulty is, as he no doubt knows, the problem of training skilled women on the decorating side, but we shall do what we can to meet the needs of the industry.