HC Deb 25 January 1940 vol 356 cc790-2W
Mr. Isaacs

asked the Minister of Labour the full entries in the Schedule of Reserved Occupations, as at the present date, relating to the printing, publishing and bookbinding industry, and the newspaper industry?

Mr. Assheton

Following is the statement:

Schedule of Reserved Occupations. Printing, Publishing and Bookbinding
Industry.
Occupation. Age.
Compositor 30
Linotype, monotype and intertype operator 30
Machine minder or letter press, litho and photogravure machines 30
Reader 30
*Lithographer, copper and steel plate worker, photogravure worker and process engraver 30
Litho artist, litho designer 30
Bookbinder 30
All other workers (in occupations not otherwise specifically reserved) in printing and bookbinding processes (excluding warehouse), including operators on binding, folding, cutting (guillotine), blocking, ruling and embossing machines, but excluding lithographer, copper and steel plate worker, photogravure worker and process engraver 30

Newspaper Industry. Occupation. Age.
Editorial staffs of newspapers, periodicals and news agencies 30

Note.—The operation of the Schedule is now relaxed in the case of men employed in the above-mentioned occupations who wish to volunteer for service in His Majesty's Forces, including Home Defence Battalions and Pioneer Corps, and in the Civil Defence Services. Men of any age in the above-mentioned occupations may now join any branch of these Services except that those in the occupations starred above will be accepted only in their corresponding Service Trade.

Mr. Lipson

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the hardships caused to unemployed teachers, in that they are debarred from being employed on work of national service because teaching is a reserved occupation; and will he arrange for unemployed persons in reserved occupations to be removed from the reserved list?

Mr. Assheton

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Education and we are not aware of any serious amount of unemployment among teachers, save in certain limited categories, for example, women teachers in private schools. This class of teachers has already been removed from the Schedule of Reserved Occupations. The schedule does not prevent any person from entering employment of any kind which is not whole-time employment in one of the Services of National Defence, and it does not prevent any women from joining one of the nursing or first-aid services. In regard to the latter part of the Question, there are serious objections to removing from the schedule persons in reserved occupations who are for the time being unemployed.