HC Deb 25 July 1963 vol 681 cc226-7W
Mr. Wolrige-Gordon

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent apprentices from the manual grades have been absorbed into the electrical and gas industries of Scotland over the last 12 years.

Mr. Hare

Information as to the numbers of apprentices absorbed into the electrical industry in Scotland in the past 12 years is not available, but figures of the total numbers of craft apprentices employed by the South of Scotland Electricity Board and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board are as follows:

Year Number of Apprentices
1952–54 *
1955 185†
1956 200†
1957 217†
1958 254
1959 275
1960 274
1961 293
1962 363
1963 420 (estimated)
* No figures available.
†Hydro-Electric Board only. Figures for South of Scotland Board not available.

Apprentices recruited to the gas industry in Scotland are as follows:

Year ended Number of Apprentices
31st March, 1953 50
31st March, 1954 49
31st March, 1955 58
31st March, 1956 54
31st March, 1957 61
31st March, 1958 87
31st March, 1959 78
31st March, 1960 66
31st March, 1961 40
31st March, 1962 95
31st March, 1963 74
31st March, 1964 96 (estimated)