§ 20. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Minister of Labour whether he is satisfied that the facilities are adequate for giving trade or occupational training to the large numbers of time-expired Regulars of all three Services, who will be discharged this year after having been retained beyond their normal engagement, if they desire such training.
§ Mr. HamiltonHas there been any appreciable change in the unemployment figure since the implementation of this new policy; if there has been, in what direction has it been; and if there has not been, what further steps do the Government intend to take to solve this very difficult problem?
§ Mr. WatkinsonIf I tried to answer that I should only show how misleading statistics so often are because, due to differing levels of unemployment at different seasons, the fact is that if the last bad peak period, which was January, 1951, is compared with the present March figure, the totals are about the same. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman had better look at the figures. They are rather detailed.
§ The following is the information:
§ Mr. WatkinsonYes, Sir, within the limits imposed by the capacity of industry to absorb adult trainees.
§ Mr. HendersonWill the hon. Gentleman look into this matter again? May I draw his attention to the case of one of my constituents, an ex-paratrooper with seven years seven months Regular service, who recently applied to the employment exchange at Cradley Heath with a view to being trained in the use of bulldozers and heavy vehicles of that nature, and who was told that no such facilities for training were available?
§ Mr. WatkinsonIt may have been that a course of that nature was not at the moment available. If the right hon. and learned Gentleman would be kind enough to write to me, I promise him that we will look into the case most carefully.