§ Mr. T. GRIFFITHSasked the Minister of Agriculture whether men undergoing a year's training at the forestry school for disabled men, Brockenhurst, who are put through a course of botany, sylviculture, forest protection, mensuration, elementary surveying, planting, fencing, ditching, felling, and chemistry are, after this course of training, provided with employment as more or less skilled labourers at 40s. per week, with deductions from pay in cases of stoppage due to weather conditions: the amount of public money spent in each individual course; and whether, since, when this training school was established, it was the intention that the trainees should be put to work at good wages, hp will endeavour to provide employment more in keeping with the training given?
§ Mr. FORESTIER-WALKERI have been asked to take over this question. The forestry school for disabled men, Brockenhurst, is under the control of the Forestry Commissioners, who provide an Instructor at a salary of £300 per annum. Other expenditure on the school is met from the Ministry of Labour Vote. The course aims at enabling the men to become useful woodmen, nurserymen or the like, but is not sufficiently complete to enable men who have had no previous training in forestry to obtain at once employment as foremen or foresters. Some of the men have been engaged by the Forestry Commission at a weekly wage 2s. above the local agricultural wage of the area where they are employed; it was recently decided that no deductions from the pay of these men should be made in cases of stoppage due to weather conditions; their wages will be raised as they become more efficient and skilled. Opportunities will arise for the men who become thoroughly efficient to secure promotion as foremen and to undergo a further course of training.