§ 18. Mr. David Watkinsasked the Minister of Labour if he will establish a Government training centre to re-train redundant miners in the Consett-Stanley area of County Durham.
§ Mr. HattersleyA new centre is to be set up near Durham and is planned to Start training by the end of 1969. It will be available to retrain redundant miners from the Consett-Stanley area who want and are suitable for the accelerated training given at Government training centres. Two existing training centers—Felling and Tursdale—are within daily travelling distance of Consett and Stanley.
§ Mr. WatkinsWhile appreciating my hon. Friend's Answer, may I ask him whether he is aware that it will be necessary in the next three years to create 3,000 to 3,500 new jobs in the Consett-Stanley area? Is he satisfied that those training facilities will be sufficient for retraining on that scale?
§ Mr. HattersleyWe certainly understand the need to create new Jobs in the area and to make sure that some of those jobs are for skilled men and that there are skilled men available to All them. That is why we have accelerated the programme for training in all development areas.