§ 8. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Minister of State for Defence what steps he intends to take during the course of the current year to enable Royal Naval mechanicians, on release from Her Majesty's Forces, to pursue the skilled trade for which their training in the Royal Navy has equipped them.
§ Mr. KirkAgreement in principle has been reached with the City and Guilds Institute for the award of a Technicians Part II Certificate to men who success fully complete the Mechanicians Qualifying Course. It is hoped that the final details will be resolved well before the end of the year. We shall also continue to seek official union recognition of these men as skilled in their trade.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIs not this a matter of union recognition? Is it not a fact that just one member of the National Committee of the A.E.F. is currently preventing the employment of several hundred of these men who are urgently needed by the engineering industry and who are recognised by the A.E.F. itself as being fully qualified for skilled employment? Will my hon. Friend continue to maintain pressure on the A.E.F. to halt a restrictive practice which is worthy of a medieval craft guild?
§ Mr. KirkI cannot compel the A.E.F. to do anything that it does not wish to do. I hope very much that it will do what my hon. Friend suggests. I do not approve of its action at the moment, but it is up to it to decide.