§ 4. Mr. K. Lewisasked the Minister of Labour what progress has been achieved in securing agreement between employers and unions for the reduction of apprenticeship periods; which trades have accepted reductions; and what hopes there are for early agreement in other trades.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe building industry at national level in England and Wales has accepted a four-year apprenticeship and four regions are now operating it. The hotel and catering industry and the retail meat trade have also shortened their apprenticeship. The engineering, heating and ventilating and electrical contracting industries and the building industry in Scotland are also considering a shortening of apprenticeship. But the delay is most disappointing. My right hon. Friend hopes that employers and national unions throughout industry will urgently consider the relevance of their apprenticeship periods to modern conditions and training methods
§ Mr. LewisIs my hon. Friend aware that if this country is to increase its skill, as it is vital that it should do, and there is to be a transfer of people from one skill to another, it is absolutely vital that this problem should be dealt with right across the unions and that more of them should reduce their periods of apprenticeship very quickly in order that this can be done?
§ Mr. WhitelawI am sure my hon. Friend would be the first to appreciate that it is very dangerous to generalise or to be dogmatic in this matter. We would all agree that the important thing is that the period of apprenticeship should be realistic in relation to the time that it takes to produce a trained worker in present circumstances.
§ Mr. PrenticeWould not the hon. Gentleman agree that one of the generalisations of which his hon. Friend may have been guilty was his reference to the need of changes throughout the unions? We are talking here about one of many aspects if apprenticeships are to 409 be brought up to date. We would all like to see the conservative attitude on both sides of industry brought up to date in ibis respect.
§ Mr. WhitelawI would call the hon. Gentleman's attention to what I said in my original Answer, which was that my right hon. Friend hopes that employers and national unions throughout industry will urgently consider the relevance of their apprenticeship periods. It is a matter for all concerned.
| REDUCTIONS IN NORMAL WEEKLY HOURS OF WORK AGREED SINCE 1ST JANUARY, 1962 | ||||
| Industry | Change in Hours | Operative Date of Reduction | ||
| Pot Still Malt Distilling—Scotland | … | … | 44–42 | October, 1962 |
| Harris Tweed Manufacture (mill workers in spinning section)—Outer Hebrides | … | … | 45–43 | February, 1962 |
| Hosiery Manufacture—Scotland | … | … | 43½–42½ | March, 1962 |
| Boot and Shoe Manufacture—Rossendale Valley | … | … | 43¾–42½ | April, 1962 |
| Roofing Felt Manufacture—Great Britain | … | … | 43–42 | July, 1962 |
| Screen Printing and Display Production—Great Britain | … | … | 42–41 | January, 1963 |
| 41–40 | January, 1964 | |||
| Exhibition Stand Construction, etc.—Great Britain | … | … | 42–40 | March, 1963 |
| Exhibition Electrical Industry | … | … | 42–40 | March, 1963 |
| Paper Making, Paper Coating, etc. (day workers only)—United Kingdom | … | … | 43–42 | March, 1962 |
| Animal Gat Trade—England and Wales | … | … | 42½–42 | April, 1963 |
| Drawing Office Materials Manufacture—Great Britain | … | … | 42–42 | January, 1962 |
| Building Industry—Scotland | … | … | 42–40 | November, 1963 |
| Plumbing Trade—Scotland | … | … | 42–40 | October, 1962 |
| Electrical Contracting Industry—England and Wales and Northern Ireland | … | … | 42–40 | September, 1964 |
| Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering (Installation and Maintenance)—Great Britain | … | … | 42–40 | February, 1965 |
| Painting Trade—Scotland | … | … | 42–40 | November, 1963 |
| Dock Labour—Great Britain | … | … | 44–42 | August, 1962 |
| Dock Labour (British Transport Commission) | … | … | 44–42 | April, 1962 |
| Cold Storage—Great Britain | … | … | 44–42 | September, 1962 |
| Buffer Food Depots—England and Wales | … | … | 46–44 | July, 1962 |
| 44–42 | March, 1963 | |||
| Retail Pharmacy (pharmacists only)—England and Wales | … | … | 46–44 | March, 1963 |
| Retail Saddlery and Leather Goods Trade—Great Britain | … | … | 45–43 | March, 1962 |
| Coal and Coke Distribution—Great Britain excluding London Region | … | … | 44–42 | January, 1962 |
| Cine-Film Production (Technical and general grades in film laboratories)—Great Britain | … | … | 42½–41 | December, 1962 |
| 41–40 | December, 1963 | |||
| Cine-Film Production (Clerical workers)—Great Britain | … | … | 38½–37½ | December, 1962 |
| Catering—British Transport Hotel and Catering (Restaurant Car and Depot Staff | … | … | 44–42 | January, 1962 |