Retraining Centres, West Durham (Hansard, 29 November 1965)

§ 56. Mr. Armstrong
asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the courses and number of places available in the Government training centres at Felling and Tursdale, respectively; and to what extent further facilities are being provided to retrain redundant miners.

§ Mr. Thornton
There are now 18 courses and 373 places at Felling Government Training Centre and 8 courses and 99 places at Tursdale Government Training Centre. The latter is to be expanded by an additional 3 courses providing 46 more places. I will, with permission, circulate details of the courses in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I think that these facilities, together with those at the Centre at Billingham and the new centre to be established at Killingworth, Northumberland, will be adequate to meet the likely need for G.T.C. training for redundant miners in the area. In addition, the Finchale, Abbey Residential Training Centre for the Disabled is setting up a special engineering class which will provide short courses to assist redundant disabled miners to obtain semi-skilled work as machine operators; and two new industrial rehabilitation units are to be 1002 established in the region which will assist the resettlement of older and disabled miners.

§ Mr. Speaker
That Answer is too long.

§ Mr. Armstrong
I thank my hon. Friend for that information. Is he aware that with the recent announcement about pit closures the demand is much greater than the supply, particularly in West Durham? Will he have another look at the matter in order to determine whether another centre is required for West Durham?

§ Mr. Thornton
I shall certainly agree to have another look at the matter, but from all our past experience we are led to believe that the present facilities plus the extended programme will lead to all applications being met.