§ 8. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Labour, in view of the drain of fitters trained by local firms to Government Departments and local authorities, what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government to encourage apprenticeship schemes by such employers.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe movement of trained men between private industry and public authorities is by no means all one way. On the contrary, Government Departments, together with the Services, are, over the country as a whole, net contributors to the supply of skilled engineering manpower to industry.
§ Mr. DigbyI am glad to hear that, but is my hon. Friend aware that as recently as 4th March my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War admitted that the War Department had taken on five times as many civilian fitters as it had trained? Will my hon. Friend draw the attention of his right hon. Friends to this point so that Government Departments and public authorities shoulder their full responsibility for running adequate apprenticeship schemes?
§ Mr. WhitelawI assure my hon. Friend that my right hon. Friend is most anxious that Government Departments 967 should contribute their full quota to training arrangements. Indeed, during the Second Reading debate on the Industrial Training Bill, my right hon. Friend said that Government Departments would at least equal the standards set by the training boards and would make a fair and reasonable contribution to training in the appropriate industries. With that undertaking in mind, I will certainly see that what my hon. Friend has said is brought to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War.