§ 27. Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to extend facilities for retraining in the West Midlands in the light of the recent figures for adult male unemployment in Birmingham.
§ Mr. HattersleyTwo new Government training centres are to be set up in the West Midlands, one in North Staffordshire by the end of 1969, and the other in the Wolverhampton area by the end of 1970. The number of training places at the present Birmingham and Coventry centres is to be increased by mid-1969. These developments will raise the annual output of trained men from centres in the West Midlands from 600 to about 1,350.
§ Mr. PriceWhile thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, and accepting that some unemployment in the Birmingham area is the result of the more efficient use of manpower in the motor industry, for which the Government can take credit, may I ask him whether he does not consider that there is a greater duty upon the Government to increase training facilities to cope with that increase?
§ Mr. HattersleyThe basic redeployment which has gone on successfully in the West Midlands requires increased training. Much of this must be done within the factories in which the re deployed men are to work. This is being facilitated by the excellent progress being made by the Engineering Industry Training Board.