HC Deb 18 March 1959 vol 602 cc380-1
12. Mr. Lawson

asked the Postmaster-General the number of boys of school leaving age recruited into the Post Office as youths in training on the engineering side in Lanarkshire, Scotland and Great Britain, respectively, during each of the past five years.

Mr. K. Thompson

With permission I will circulate this information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Lawson

Has there been a steady expansion of such recruitment and has Scotland participated in it?

Mr. Thompson

I am sorry to tell the House that there has been a steady decline in this kind of recruitment, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the change in the circumstances of National Service, which has required us to be ready to take back into the Service the two-year call-up, which will now no longer be compensated for by boys leaving us to do their National Service.

Following is the information:

of the very great urgency with which the Carr Committee reported on the matter and how it urged private enterprise to step up and expand such training facilities? If the Post Office is not doing that kind of thing, how does the hon. Gentleman expect private enterprise to co-operate?

Mr. Thompson

In the reply to which I have referred I gave the House information to the effect that we are extending the facilities for training for those who are in our service so that they can attend day-release courses and have further technical education. We provide scholarships for some of the young technicians at universities and at colleges of advanced technology.

Mr. Lawson

Does not that reply also indicate that the number of such apprentices and trainees is contracting, and is not this a most important feature?

Mr. Thompson

That is a separate question. We have to watch that we do not overload ourselves with more apprentices than we can usefully employ.