§ 41. Miss Quennellasked the Minister of Labour how many women are at present undertaking courses in government training centres; and what percentage this represents of all those on such courses.
§ Mr. HattersleyOnly two. There are however, 305 women in training under the vocational training scheme at technical and commercial colleges, residential centres for the disabled and employers' establishments. They represent 30 per cent. of such trainees.
§ Miss QuennellThe Joint Parliamentary Secretary's reply is very disquieting. Has his Ministry had a specific drive to encourage women to attend retraining courses, or does it intend so to do?
§ Mr. HattersleyThe problem, if problem there be, which results in the answer, "Only two", is that normal industrial training courses are specifically, if not designed to be, the sort of courses which attract men because of the nature of the training and the jobs for which they train. Courses outside the Government training centres have a wider range, and therefore include normal female occupations and have a healthier proportion of women among them, and I am sure that that is proper.