51. Mr. Slaterasked the Minister of Labour what consideration he has given to the setting up of emergency training centres for young people out of work.
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. John Hare)In general, the demand for young workers exceeds the supply. My Ministry does, however, regularly provide training courses for disabled unemployed young persons at commercial and technical colleges, at residential training centres, and at Government training centres.
Mr. SlaterIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are very few openings for apprenticeship training in the North-East? Does he not think that if schemes of this kind were introduced, they would be a means of alleviating the position, taking the young people off the streets and enabling them to receive a form of training which would make them ready when such apprenticeship openings arose?
§ Mr. HareI think the hon. Gentleman is aware that compared with 1960 we had something like 30 per cent. more school leavers last Christmas, and that there are, taking the nation as a whole, something like two vacancies for every young person at present unemployed. My own youth employment officers are doing all they can to see that these people get jobs.