HC Deb 01 August 1978 vol 955 cc243-4
9. Mr. Tim Renton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends to strengthen the employment retraining schemes.

The Under-Secretary, of State for Employment (Mr. John Grant)

The Government have promised financial support to the Manpower Services Commission for the implementation of the proposals contained in the commission's report "Training for Skills—A programme for Action", which aims to improve the amount and quality of training in key skills. The commission is also undertaking a major review of the training opportunities scheme and is considering the future scale and balance of the scheme in relation to industrial training generally.

Mr. Renton

What can be the real success of employment retraining schemes, however good the idea behind them, until there is labour mobility? How can there be labour mobility until accommodation is easily available throughout the country? Does not the Minister agree that that is where the real failure of the Labour Government lies—that, at a time of rapidly rising unemployment, people have stayed in areas where there are no jobs because they are fearful of not getting housing in areas where there are jobs?

Mr. Grant

That is a very valid point, but it is not a problem that this Government alone have encountered. This has been a problem over many years. Most hon. Members have encountered it in their constituencies, and there is no easy solution to it.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

With regard to the MSC's statement this morning, is the Minister aware that it is stated therein that fewer than half of the work experience places available will be in employers' premises by March 1979? Does not he regard that as a retrograde step, since most youngsters prefer to get their training at a place of work rather than in establishments outside? Further, will he explain why there are only these limited areas of exemption where the schemes can start earlier than September, because there are many places with more than 10 per cent. unemployment, including 14 work areas in Wales?

Mr. Grant

It will be wider. On the basic point raised by the hon. Gentleman, we shall have to wait and see how it works out in practice. I do not see a difficulty on the basis of the figures cited by the hon. Gentleman. Indeed, many of the people who do not receive their work experience at their place of employment to begin with will clearly go on to that situation.

Mr. Edwin Wainwright

Will my hon. Friend take into account the fact that more and more retraining, if jobs are not available, is not too helpful? Will he therefore consider a mobility allowance to encourage people to move from districts where there is unemployment to districts where there is work? Will my hon. Friend also take into account our young people, who have difficulty in finding jobs, who are untrained, and who probably will have to change jobs three or four times in the next 30 years without having the necessary training?

Mr. Grant

There is a mobility problem. There is, of course, the employment transfer scheme which helps considerably in that way.

On the question of training and retraining, the real problem in getting young people into jobs arises when they have no skills to offer. I do not accept, therefore, that it is in any way a bad policy to train people, even though there may be difficulties in subsequently getting them into employment.