§ Mr. J. DAVISONasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the case of disabled men who have been engaged on a course of boat building under the Ministry in various parts of the country; whether the men complain that the length of the course is not sufficient to enable them to learn the trade and to become proficient to secure a berth on its termination; and whether, in view of this fact, he will have inquiries made into the matter with a view of extending the length of the course, and so enable these men to become efficient and competent to obtain employment in this trade at the end of their training?
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§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy attention has been called to a short course of training in boat building in one area, in which certain disabled men who were being trained by an employer were unable to complete their training owing to the closing of the employer's works through trade depression and are now without training or employment. Since that course was started a longer course, which provides for 18 months' training with State maintenance, and a further period of 2½ years without State maintenance, has been approved by a special committee, fully representative of the employers and trade unions concerned, and is now in operation. Attempts are being made to find further workshop vacancies for the men I have mentioned, in order to enable them to take advantage of the full period of training which has now been sanctioned.