Dr. Bennettasked the Minister of Labour on what grounds he approved the policies of the Shipbuilding Industry Training Board in respect of levies and grants during the first two years of its existence, in view of the fact that it was extracting levy but refusing grants to such firms as Viking Maine, Gosport, who use modern and non-traditional materials and methods; and if he will seek to amend the scheme so as to provide compensation to firms, which have to pay the unrequited levy in addition to financing their own training schemes.
§ Mr. GunterThe Shipbuilding Industry Training Board has, with my approval, adopted a gradual approach to the spreading of training costs pending the establishment of satisfactory standards of training for the various occupations. The rate of levy has therefore been lower than if it had been designed to cover the full costs of training and firms in the industry have had, in general, to finance their own training schemes assisted only partially by grants from the Board. The Board's grant scheme for the current year is wider than for the two previous years and includes provisions for grants towards the training of boat-builders using modern materials like fibre glass.