§ 46. Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Labour what is the average age of male and female European voluntary workers, respectively, now working in the Lancashire textile industry.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsThirty-two in the case of men and 25 in the case of women.
360W
§ 47. Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Labour, of the total number of European voluntary workers now working in the Lancashire textile industry, how many had previous experience of and training in such work; and of those who had not such training or experience, what time it has taken on the average for them to become efficient in spinning and weaving, respectively.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsApproximately 3,500 European volunteer workers have been placed in textile work in Lancashire. No record is readily available of the number with previous experience of this work but it is probably less than five per cent. The training period for inexperienced workers on the spinning side is understood to vary from 12 to 15 weeks. The introduction of European volunteer workers into the weaving section is only just beginning.
§ 50. Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Labour what maximum age limit has been laid down for male and female displaced persons who enter this country as European voluntary workers for work in the textile industry.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsWomen are not normally selected for this work if they are over the age of 35; otherwise no upper age limits have been laid down.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Labour what has been the total cost to date of bringing European voluntary workers to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsThe approximate cost incurred to the end of February, 1948, of selecting European volunteer workers in Germany and Austria, of bringing them from the German frontier to this country and of maintaining them here until placed in employment was £1,290,000. This figure excludes the cost of camp maintenance charges, etc., on the Continent as this cost is borne by the Preparatory Commission of the International Refugee Organisation.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Labour how many of the male and female European voluntary workers who entered this country in 1947 were married, whether they were permitted to bring their children under working age, how many of such children entered the United Kingdom, and what is their average age.
361W
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsIn 1947 some 7,500 married male and female E.V.Ws. arrived in this country. Of these about 1,500 had non-working dependants who were to follow later as accommodation became available. Some 600 of the children under 16 years of age among these dependants have since arrived in this country. The average age of the children is 6½ years.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Labour if he will define, so far as possible by percentages of the total, the countries from which European voluntary workers engaged in the textile industry originated.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsThis information is not immediately available and could only be obtained by a detailed examination of a large number of individual records.