§ 22. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether she will make a statement on the development of sponsored training in Government training centres.
§ Mr. DellCourses for sponsored employees have been generally available to employers free of charge since February, 1969. By February, 1970, 569 employers had used the scheme, 932 trainees had completed courses, and there were 358 under training. This is an encouraging response, but I look forward to continued expansion.
§ Mr. WainwrightWould my right hon. Friend consider encouraging this kind of training because of the shortage of skilled and semi-skilled people throughout the country due to the fact that the Opposition did not carry out their duties and responsibilities when they were in Government, and will he also consider not only encouraging training in the training centres but training in industry to make sure that we obtain the requisite number of trained workers?
§ Mr. DellWe will certainly do everything we can to expand the sponsored training scheme. As for encouraging training in industry, as my hon. Friend knows, that is of fundamental importance, and we are doing a great deal in in this direction by grants in development areas and intermediate areas and through the activities of the industrial training boards and Government training centres.
§ Mr. R. CarrWhat plans has the right hon. Gentleman for reducing the very large number of long-term unemployed, who are, of course, a reflection of the very high unemployment figures referred to just now by my hon. Friend?
§ Mr. DellWe are considering, as I said in the House a few weeks ago, what more can be done to train unemployed people to fill the gaps now emerging in the economy for skilled people and semi-skilled people.