HC Deb 06 May 1968 vol 764 c31
52. Mr. Moyle

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether her Department took into consideration the 1,500 employees of J. Stone and Company Limited, Deptford, who are to be declared redundant during the next two years in making forward plans for retraining facilities in South-East London.

Mr. Hattersley

Plans to expand Government training centre facilities are based on prospective long-term industrial needs, including those likely to arise from redundancies at particular firms. Many of the employees of J. Stone & Co. are already skilled and will not require further training. For the facilities available to any who need to be retrained, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 25th March to his Question about the redundancies at A.E.I., Woolwich.—[Vol. 761, c. 906.]

Mr. Moyle

In the circumstances, will my hon. Friend conduct a survey now to find out how many people from J. Stone and Company will require retraining?

Mr. Hattersley

I am prepared to examine that proposal, but I reiterate that very many of them will not require retraining, and our expectation is that those who do could easily be absorbed within existing facilities.