§ Mr. Isaacsasked 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. AsshetonFollowing is the statement: 791W
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. Lipsonasked 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. AsshetonI 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 from792W the schedule persons in reserved occupations who are for the time being unemployed.