§ Mr. C. EDWARDSasked the Minister of Labour what, kind of training is being provided for youths displaced owing to unemployment in the mining areas; where the training centres are situated; how long the training lasts; how many youths have passed through these training centres; and how many went into other employments at the end of their training?
§ Mr. BETTERTONFor unemployed young miners, who wish to take up farm work overseas, training in simple agricul-1154W tural work, ploughing, milking and the handling of live stock is provided. In the case of men desiring alternative employment in this country the training is of a general kind, mainly with a view to improving the men's employability. Day training centres have been established at Birmingham and Wallsend, and residential centres at Brandon in Norfolk and Claydon in Suffolk. In the case of farm training, the course is limited to 17 weeks; in other cases, training is limited to 26 weeks. At the end of October, 4,346 men had passed through a course of training at these centres, of whom 3,072 are known to have secured employment in this country, and 976 had been placed on farms overseas. Separate figures for men belonging to the mining industry are not available.