HC Deb 27 March 1961 vol 637 cc945-6
27. Mr. Prentice

asked the Minister of Labour what studies are being made in his Department with a view to introducing a training levy on firms which employ skilled labour, combined with grants to those firms which train a given proportion of apprentices, or any similar scheme of financial incentives which would increase apprenticeship training.

Mr. Hare

A scheme on these lines is operating in France. My Department is looking into it and I have suggested that industry might give thought to the implications of such a scheme.

Mr. Prentice

The Minister may have made a request to industry to consider this, but the lesson to be learned from France and other countries is that this will be effective only if the Government themselves take action. If the Government are to take action, will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the bulge begins to spill out on to the labour market in just about four months' time? It is thus becoming a matter of urgency. Will he agree that this problem will not be solved by exhortations but only by action by the Government?

Mr. Hare

I am not at all sure that I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It would be quite wrong to denigrate the efforts made by the Industrial Training Council, which is composed, after all, of representatives of the British Employers' Confederation and the T.U.C. Industry has accepted this responsibility. It is wise for both industry and the Government to study any other schemes which may be in operation. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not denigrate the efforts being made, because I think that at this moment it would be a great error to try to change horses in midstream.

Mr. Prentice

Will the right hon. Gentleman accept it from me that I am not denigrating the Industrial Training Council? I admire its work very much. What I and most of my right hon. and hon. Friends insist on is that the Council needs more backing from the Government, otherwise the efforts it is making will not bear the fruit they deserve.

Mr. Hare

I assure the hon. Gentleman that we are giving every sort of backing we can to the Industrial Training Council. As he knows, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and I are visiting every region in the country to do what we can to support the efforts of the Council in its regional conferences which are now taking place.