§ 7. Mr. Cledwyn Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the provision of training and retraining facilities in Gwynedd.
§ Mr. John MorrisI have received representations from my right hon. Friend and from the North Wales branch of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions.
§ Mr. HughesI am obliged to my right hon. and learned Friend. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has allocated substantial resources for industrial training and retraining, will my right hon. and learned Friend ensure that some of this money is spent in areas of high unemployment, such as Gwynedd? Will he press for the establishment of a suitable skillcentre in the area of Bangor, to meet the requirements of the population of the catchment area concerned?
§ Mr. MorrisMy right hon. Friend the Member for Anglesey (Mr. Hughes) has led a consistent campaign on this matter. I am very concerned that there shall be adequate facilities. There are training facilities in North-West Wales in the further education centres and employment establishments, and I understand that 178 people are now being trained in a wide variety of trades at these establishments. My right hon. Friend has been campaigning with me and with others for something over and above what is already being done, and he has a Question down to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment tomorrow. My right hon. Friend is aware of the whole issue, and I am ensuring that the representations made to me at my meeting with the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions in December are being placed before my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the case made out by the Gwynedd County Council for a skillcentre? Does he not think it wise to encourage the Welsh Development Agency to take an interest in this?
§ Mr. MorrisThe hon. Gentleman will know, or should know, that this is a 10 matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. Negotiations are taking place between the county council and the Training Services Agency. That matter is now being considered actively, in terms of what is proper to be done and what facilities are required, given the amount that they would have to cater for. Those are the current negotiations between the county council and the TSA.