§ Mr. CECIL WILSONasked the Minister of Labour how many unemployed men and women, respectively, have completed their period of training; how many are now being trained; what number of additional males and females it is anticipated will have completed their training during the next 12 months; and what difficulties are there in the way of providing facilities for the training of additional numbers?
§ Sir ARTHUR STEEL - MAITLANDAbout 29,200 women have passed through the training centres for unemployed women. The number now in training is 1,820 and the number who will complete courses during the next 12 months is estimated at 3,500. The full course of1534W training under the scheme for young unemployed men is one of six months. The first Centre was opened on the 20th October, 1925; the first course therefore has not yet been completed, but 255 men have left before the end of their course in order to take up employment. The number now in training is 1,016. It is anticipated that during the next 12 months not. less than 2,200 men will receive courses of training. The scheme is an experiment, and it is not at present proposed to provide additional facilities. The figures given above do not include ex-service men trained under the Industrial Training Scheme, under which on 16th March, 1926, 2,227 men were in training, 97,192 had completed training (exclusive of those trained under the Ministry of Pensions before August, 1919) and 214 were awaiting training.