§ 40. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Labour what is the total number of all staff, including office employees and instructors, employed at the latest available date by the various training boards which have been established under the Industrial Training Act, 1964.
§ Mr. HattersleyThis is a matter for the boards themselves, which are given express responsibility under the Industrial Training Act for appointing their own staffs.
§ Mr. FarrOn a point of order. Did the hon. Gentleman answer my Question? I asked for the total number of staff. He seemed to refer to something entirely different.
§ Mr. HattersleyI said that that was a matter for the boards themselves.
§ Mr. FarrSurely the Minister has some idea of the total staff involved. A number of hon. Members are very concerned at the growing staff structure of the individual training boards. Some picture of the exact size would have been useful. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that no less than £500,000 annually is to be devoted to running the Agricultural Training Board?
§ Mr. HattersleyI am well aware of the very special considerations which apply to the Agricultural Training Board this year. In no other year has that board had to spend substantial sums on administration and staff. But that is 904 typical neither of the boards in general nor of the work which that board intends to do in the long run. The position concerning my responsibility is very clear. Schedule 10 to the Act enables the boards to set up their own machinery. It is vitally important that they should be allowed to get on with the work—the running of the board by industry, for industry—without the constant interference of my Ministry.