§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in consequence of the increased armament programme and the greater demand for skilled labour of all sorts, there has been any difficulty in retaining skilled workers in His Majesty's naval dockyards, and in attracting an adequate number of apprentices of the right type?
§ Mr. ShakespeareNo difficulty has been experienced in retaining skilled workmen in the dockyards, but employment is available for a number of men in the engineering trades (particularly electrical fitters), and in the trade of shipwright. The numbers of apprenticeships offered have increased very considerably in recent years, and at some yards there has been some insufficiency of candidates qualified at the annual examination.