Pottery Industry (Hansard, 4 December 1951)

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the numbers and kinds of workpeople wanted in the pottery industry; what action has been, and is to be, taken to fill the vacancies; and if he will consult with the appropriate authorities to improve the transport facilities within a reasonable radius so that work-people can travel direct to and from the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

§ Sir W. Monckton
Approximately 4,000 additional workers are wanted in the pottery industry. The vacancies notified cover a wide range of occupations but the most pressing need is for women decorators.
In the quarter ending 30th September the total labour force rose by over 500 and my officers, in consultation with both sides of the industry, will continue to do all that they can to attract more workers for full or part-time employment in the industry.
The transport problems of the area are under constant review by those concerned, but if the hon. Member has some specific difficulty in mind I should be glad if he would let me know.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Minister of Labour if he is satisfied that the proposals made in pages 4, 5, 48 and 50 of the working party's report on pottery have 230W been carried out; and if he will issue a report showing the improvements made since the publication of the report and the work that is still required.

§ Sir W. Monckton
As was contemplated when the report was made, the health and welfare Regulations for potteries have since been thoroughly overhauled in consultation with representatives of employers and workpeople in the industry, and the new Regulations have been taken into account in the extensive reconstruction and modernisation of potteries which has been taking place since the war. This great task, involving as it does an immense amount of building work and other practical difficulties, is still in progress, so that a report showing, for any particular date, what improvements had been made and what remained to be done, would not only be very long but might not give a fair picture of the situation. Some account, however, of improvements already made, and of difficulties encountered and being progressively overcome, will be included in the forthcoming annual report of the Chief Inspector of Factories.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to ensure that the Factories Act is now strictly enforced in every concern engaged in the manufacture of pottery in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and that all the buildings conform to the minimum requirements; what is the most recent inspection conducted by the factory inspectors; and what were the results.

§ Sir W. Monckton
Potteries are being constantly visited by the factory inspectors, who work in close consultation with trade union representatives, as well as with employers, in connection with the planning and carrying out of constructional and other improvements to achieve at least compliance with the new health and welfare Regulations and higher standards in these and other matters dealt with under the Factories Acts; legal proceedings are taken where this is found to be an appropriate course. As indicated in reply to another Question by the hon. Member, the large amount of constructional work involved is inevitably not yet complete, but is proceeding.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Minister of Labour if he can give an assurance that there is now provided in every pottery 231W factory in the city of Stoke-on-Trent adequate and satisfactory toilet facilities for all men and women employed, drinking water, ambulance rooms, provision for clothes-drying facilities for wet clothes and canteens or other satisfactory facilities for food; and if he will set out in tabular form the headings, showing the numbers of concerns which are considered satisfactory for each requirement and the numbers not satisfactory and state what action is to be taken.

§ Sir W. Monckton
No. This is a matter of progressive improvement, conditions in potteries are not static, and a tabular statement of that kind would be misleading.

§ Mr. Ellis Smith
asked the Minister of Labour what action has been taken or will be taken to carry out the proposals set out in pages 21, 22 and 23 of the working party report on pottery; if he will give an assurance that his Department's officers are only assisting those concerns who give the parents of young people some assurance with regard to the future of juvenile labour; and what has been their experience in this problm.

§ Sir W. Monckton
The arrangements for the training of young workers agreed by the industry in 1945 and referred to in the report of the working party have not been developed. In the circumstances it would not be appropriate to consider a number of the consequential proposals made in the working party report.
At the present time most of the young people entering the pottery industry are, according to my information, being trained under learnership arrangements. I understand, however, that the industry is now considering a new apprenticeship scheme under which provision would be made for the part-time attendance of apprentices at suitable educational classes and that the local education authority and the Ministry of Education will be ready to assist so far as available resources permit.
On the second half of the Question, it is the policy of the Youth Employment Service to advise young people, and their parents, of the importance of the training arrangements and future prospects offered by employers to their young workers, and in placing young people in particular jobs, the Youth Employment Service does so in accordance with this policy.