§ 2. Mr. Gurdenasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many extra vocational training places his Department expects to provide in the Midlands during the coming year.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Employment (Mr. R. Chichester-Clark)At least 800 additional training places are planned in the Department's Midlands region during the next 12 months, including about 520 in Government training centres.
§ Mr. GurdenHow does that compare with 1970, and what percentage of these trainees find jobs within three months of leaving training? Is the Minister aware of the dissatisfaction with some of the proposed changes in the Birmingham area?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkPerhaps my hon. Friend will let me have the details of any cases involving dissatisfaction. In regard to what he said about a comparison with previous years, the number of GTC places has increased by 27 per cent. since January 1970, when there were 903 places—not an unsatisfactory record. There has been a vast improvement in the number of places at colleges and employers' establishments, which in the last year have increased to nearly 2,000, against only 26 places in 1970. About 88 per cent. of Government training centre trainees in the Midlands region are placed within three months of completing their course.
§ Mr. AshtonWhy are there six Questions at the beginning of the Order Paper ail relating to industrial training? Why cannot the Minister answer them all together and, instead of giving lengthy statistics orally, publish them in the OFFICIAL REPORT? Has there been any packing of the Order Paper?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkAs somebody who is deeply interested in training matters, I am grateful that at least on the Conservative benches there is great interest in the improving trend.
§ Mr. CarterIs the hon. Gentleman aware that if there is dissatisfaction in Birmingham about industrial retraining facilities it is simply due to the fact that not enough places are available? What guarantee can he give that an increased number of places will be made available in the very near future?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThree new GTCs are planned—one in North-East Birmingham, a second in the Wolverhampton area, and a third elsewhere. There are six centres in existence and there are now more than 3,100 training places in GTCs, colleges and employers' establishments.
§ Mr. FernyhoughDoes not the hon. Gentleman agree that the decision in 1962 by the Conservative administration to cut training facilities in an effort to reduce public expenditure was one of the biggest blunders they made?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkWhatever may have happened in 1962, I regard the Conservative record on this topic as very good in comparison with Labour's record.
§ 4. Major-General Jack d'Avigdor-Goldsmidasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many Government training centres serve the West Midlands area.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThere are four Government training centres in the West Midlands economic planning region, and two more are planned by 1975.
§ Major-General d'Avigdor-GoldsmidI thank my hon. Friend for that information. Will he consider siting a new GTC at Tamworth, which is a developing area? At present our nearest centres are at Nottingham and Handsworth.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI will bear in mind what my hon. Friend says and I will go into the situation very carefully.
§ Mr. StonehouseIs the Minister not aware that against the massive industrial restructuring which will take place in the West Midlands in the next five or 10 years, the figure he has given is still somewhat pathetic? Will he do something within his Department to plan a further development of training centres? Will he consider placing one in the Black Country, so that it will be available for those who will have to be retrained when 1139 closures and redundancies occur in that part of the world?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI have already given indications of what will happen in the very near future in terms of new Government training centres in that area. While I am never satisfied with what one can do, I believe that there has been a great improvement. In fact, there has been an increase of 69 per cent. in the number of Government training centres since 1970 when there were only 389 places.
§ Sir P. BryanTo what extent is the demand for training places being maintained in the Midlands and in the country in general?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThe demand is still there, and in particular trades it is considerable. In certain trades there are waiting lists. We are watching the situation and doing all we can to stimulate places in those areas.
§ Mr. GoldingIs the hon. Gentleman aware that it is the high level of unemployment in the West Midlands that creates the need for these centres, not only in Tamworth but in almost every area in the West Midlands? What provision is he making to ensure that the young person of 18 of the lowest ability can obtain employment and not be written off for life, as is now happening?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkWe undertake in assisted areas a kind of semi-skilled training. On the point about vocational training, those in the category mentioned by the hon. Gentleman do not at this time come within that scheme. It is thought right that in the first instance employers should take the responsibility for training these people and should not be discouraged in any way from fulfilling that responsibility. There are exceptions, and they include the disabled.
§ 6. Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many extra vocational training places his Department expects to provide during the next 12 months.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkMy Department expects to provide about 9,000 additional vocational training places during the next 12 months, including over 3,000 in Government training centres.
§ Mr. RedmondIs there any indication that the increased amount of training is helping to reconcile severe unemployment with severe shortages of labour in certain industries, particularly in places like Bolton? Furthermore, is the amount of training having any effect on that strange statistic known as the female activity rate?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkThe object is to try to cure those bottlenecks in the economy which have caused rather more general destruction to the economy in the past. It is also aimed at affording opportunity to those who, for one reason or another, at an earlier stage in their lives have missed those opportunities. It is to facilitate people who want to change their jobs during their working lives and to give encouragement to married women who, having reared their children, wish to go back to work.
§ Mr. AshtonToo long.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI am sorry it the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Ashton) thinks my answer too long. I regard this matter as important. On the question of vocational training, I can tell the House that there are now about 4,000 women under this sort of training, compared with just over 300 in 1970.
§ Mr. LiptonIs the Minister aware that much more remains to be done, especially in the London area, where in Brixton alone the number of unemployed has increased by 55 per cent. since 1962? The figures are quite shocking.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI have been aware for some time of the problems of vocational training in London and I am having a special effort made in that context.
§ Mr. James HamiltonIs the Minister aware that I am very much in favour of vocational training? Does he give any consideration to the types of job for which people have to be trained? Can he assure the House that as regards Lanarkshire especially he will provide the necessary people for the jobs which have not yet come to us?
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkWe are always reviewing the courses in specific areas to see whether they meet the needs of industry and the needs of those who wish to be trained.