§ 44. Mr. Mossasked the Minister of Education, in view of the annual increase in the number of young persons leaving school, which is expected to reach its peak in 1962, and the difficulty of recruiting from amongst them an adequate number of apprentices because of the reluctance of small firms to provide apprenticeships, what steps he proposes to take to encourage local authorities, by way of additional grant or otherwise, to provide training centres for apprenticeship schemes.
§ Sir E. BoyleThe main duty of local education authorities in this sphere is to provide educational opportunities to match the training provided by industry for apprentices, not to replace it. My right hon. Friend is giving them every help and encouragement to develop their service to this end.
§ Mr. MossIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in this Question we are concerned with small firms, that they do not seem to be providing facilities for school-leavers and that if local authorities were encouraged by the Ministry to do something in this matter, such facilities could be provided all over the country?
§ Sir E. BoyleI assure the hon. Member that we do our very best to encourage small firms and to draw their attention to this important matter. The Carr Committee did, however, recommend that the present division of responsibility between local education authorities and industry in this sphere should be maintained.