HC Deb 31 July 1958 vol 592 cc1560-1
5. Mr. Skeffington

asked the Minister of Education whether he will issue an up-to-date version of table 4 of the White Paper on technical education, giving full details of part-time day release industry by industry.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education (Sir Edward Boyle)

Yes, Sir. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table giving the latest figures available. It shows that the proportion of workers under the age of 18 who are released to attend part-time day classes has increased from 27 per cent. to 33.8 per cent. for boys and from 7 per cent. to 8.4 per cent. for girls.

Following is the table:

STUDENTS UNDER 18 YEARS RELEASED BY THEIR EMPLOYERS IN 1956–57 TO ATTEND COURSES FOR PART-TIME EDUCATION SHOWN AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE ESTIMATED NUMBER UNDER 18 YEARS, WHO ARE INSURED UNDER THE NATIONAL INSURANCE ACTS
England and Wales
Industry Boys Girls
(1) Estimated Numbers insured at end of May, 1957 (2) Numbers released by their Employers (3) Column (2) as a percentage of Column (1) (4) Estimated Numbers insured at end of May, 1957 (5) Numbers released by their Employers (6) Column (5) as a percentage of Column (4)
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing … … … 38,340 1,127 2.9 7,370 109 1.5
Mining and Quarrying … 36,300 21,663 59.7 1,670 139 8.3
Treatment of Non-metalliferous Mining … … … 10,090 976 9.7 7,510 178 2.4
Products other than Coal:
Chemicals and Allied Trades 8,670 4,143 47.8 13,590 2,895 21.3
Metal Manufacture … … 16,230 7,624 47.0 5,360 741 13.8
Engineering, Shipbuilding and Electrical Goods … 72,980 52,491 71.9 34,630 3,524 10.2
Vehicles … … … 46,320 17,540 37.9 13,950 870 6.2
Metal Goods not elsewhere specified … … … 16,290 3,900 23.9 13,490 773 5.7
Precision Instruments, Jewellery, etc. … … … 4,990 1,374 27.5 4,350 155 3.6
Textiles … … … 14,640 2,238 15.3 42,730 1,516 3.5
Leather, Leather Goods and Fur … … … 2,060 180 8.7 2,480 194 7.8
Clothing … … … 11,950 2,489 20.8 58,670 1,536 2.6
Food, Drink and Tobacco … 21,170 2,837 13.4 33,780 3,125 9.3
Manufactures of Wood and Cork … … … 17,520 1,994 11.4 5,390 142 2.6
Paper and Printing … … 19,600 7,529 38.4 25,820 705 2.7
Other Manufacturing Industries … … … 6,170 1,564 25.3 10,360 881 8.5
Building and Contracting … 65,360 34,233 52.4 5,240 184 3.5
Gas, Electricity and Water Supply … … … 7,010 5,764 82.2 2,800 567 20.3
Transport and Communication … … … 37,860 9,374 24.8 15,260 4,184 27.4
Distributive Trades … … 79,240 5,519 7.0 161,340 5,250 3.3
Insurance, Banking and Finance … … … 7,270 62 0.9 22,680 193 0.9
Public Administration and Defence … … … 10,060 6,969 69.3 12,870 7,508 58.3
Professional Services … 12,270 3,494 28.5 33,500 11,456 34.2
Miscellaneous Services … 18,610 1,033 5.6 48,160 2,335 4.9
Total … … … 581,000 196,117 33.8 583,000 49,160 8.4
The table is, in general, comparable with Table IV of the White Paper on Technical Education (Cmd. 9703) but the industries in which the students are employed have been classified more accurately. This largely explains why the percentage of released students appears to have increased greatly in some industries and to have fallen in some others (e.g., engineering).