§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the total amounts paid in redundancy payments in 1970 and 1971 and the monthly totals paid in 1972 to date with the amounts paid by the employers and by his Department.
§ Mr. Dudley Smith:The available figures are given below. I regret that full figures for March, 1972, are not yet available.
Total employers' payments to employees(1) Rebate(including equivalent payments)paid from Redundancy Fund to employers(2) Guarantee payments direct from Redundancy Fund to employees(3) (£000s) (£000s) (£000s) 1970 67,205 33,620 5,356 1971 102,334* 51,167* 5,940 1972— January 9,238 4,619 391 February 9,470 4,735 303 *Revised figures. The cost borne by employers is that of total payments to employees less rebate. The cost to the Fund is that of rebate plus guarantee payments. The Fund is Financed by employers' statutory contributions.
§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider making it a condition of grants by industrial training boards to firms that they give release and training to similar proportions of boys and girls in any occupation.
§ Mr. Dudley Smith:No.
§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to enable industrial training boards to pay special grants to firms which train girls and women for occupations outside the traditional female range or which provide training for older women.
§ Mr. Dudley Smith:Boards already have the power to include such grants in the grant schemes they put forward for my right hon. Friend's approval, if they wish.