§ 16. Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Government training centres there are in Northern Ireland; and how many training places are provided.
§ Mr. ChannonThere are currently eight Government training centres in Northern Ireland providing a total of 2,600 training places.
§ Mr. StallardWould the hon. Gentleman accept that probably one of the main obstacles to implementing his policy of a balanced work force—I recognise the looseness of that phrase—and a policy of non-discrimination in jobs is the lack of the requisite skills among those who ought to be given the chance to apply 690 for the vacancies? Will he therefore consider a crash programme of training to bring some of those skills into high unemployment areas and thus bring the people to the vacancies?
§ Mr. ChannonI have great sympathy with what the hon. Member says. He will be pleased to know that there are three other schemes to be completed in the next year or so which will provide a considerable number of further places in Government training centres. The proportion of people being trained in such centres is immeasurably higher in Northern Ireland than in any other part of the United Kingdom. I will certainly bear in mind the hon. Gentleman's point of view and do what I can to encourage further development.