§ 47. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that men desiring training or retraining facilities in Government training centres in Scotland are having to wait many months for a place; and what plans exist for increasing such facilities and reducing these delays.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsThere are waiting periods of several months for some trades at some training centres in Scotland. The situation should be significantly improved next year with the opening of the seventh new centre in Scotland, as well as by the expansion of existing centres.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs my hon. Friend aware that I had several complaints on this matter during the course of the last election; and that it is not very satisfactory for a man to have to wait for nine months for a place in one of these centres? Will she give an assurance that when new centres are set up they will be sited principally in the areas adversely affected by, for instance, pit closures, especially in areas like West Fife?
§ Mrs. WilliamsI thank my hon. Friend for bringing this matter particularly to our attention, and I would point out that, particularly with respect to redundant 36 mineworkers, the demand is very often more for rehabilitation centre places than for training centre places. A new centre is to be erected very shortly in North Lanarkshire for this purpose.
Mr. Edward M. TaylorIs the hon. Lady aware that watchmaking and engineering courses have a waiting list of one year? Is not the job of rehabilitation all the more difficult when a man has been disabled and has then had to spend a year doing nothing?
§ Mrs. WilliamsMy right hon. Friend is aware of the problem. The increase in training places in Scotland in the last three years has been no less than sixfold. The hon. Gentleman might like to consider the difference between the record of his Government and mine on the matter.