§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Minister of Labour whether he has now guaranteed the sum of £50,000 towards the training schemes of the Central Committee on Women's Employment on condition that the committee guarantee an equal amount; whether this sum will only train 5,000 women for three months; and whether, in view of the fact that there are 176,000 unemployed women on the live register of the Employment Exchanges, he will make some further provision for their training?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe Government contribution, up to a maximum, of £50,000, is £1 for every £1 disbursed by the Women's Central Committee from their own funds up to 31st March next on the training of unemployed women and young persons who give an undertaking to enter domestic service on the conclusion of training. The grant is additional to the sum of £50,000, which was made to the Central Committee last year, and which, with the committee's contributions, brings the sums allocated to this purpose up to a total of £250,000. I understand that the funds at the committee's disposal, including the second grant of £50,000, are adequate to meet the demand for this form of training, so far as it can now be estimated, and I am afraid that there are at present no other openings for which unemployed women could advantageously be trained.