Bridge of Allan Training Centre

HC Deb 18 December 1952 vol 509 cc227-8W

Sir D. Robertson

asked the Minister of Labour (1) how many of the women and girls who have been trained at Uplands, Bridge of Allan, are employed as home workers with families; and if he will state the average number of children in these families;

(2) how many of the women and girls trained at Uplands, Bridge of Allan, as home workers, have entered the catering trade and how many have entered occupations other than home workers.

Sir W. Monckton

According to the latest information available, 115 of a total of 174 former trainees from the Bridge of Allan Training Centre are employed in private households, of whom 65 are employed in households with young children, the average number of children between two and three. Many of the other households have a special need for domestic help, e.g. doctors' and farmers' households, or those containing old or sick persons. Seven former trainees are known to be engaged in other kinds of domestic work, including one employed in the catering industry; three are being trained as nurses; 16 are engaged in domestic duties in their own homes; one is in Her Majesty's Forces; four are sick; there is no recent information about 18; and the number known to be in other occupations is 10.

Sir D. Robertson

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the capital costs involved in acquiring and equipping Uplands, Bridge of Allan; the operating costs since the institute was opened for training houseworkers; the cost of supervision by his Department; and the number of women and girls who have been fully trained and have left the institute for service.

Sir W. Monckton

The capital cost of acquiring and equipping the Bridge of Allan Training Centre was about £9,400, while the operating costs since the Centre was opened up to 30th September, 1952, amount to about £34,500, including £7,000 paid in allowances to trainees. The cost of supervision by my Department cannot be exactly estimated, but is certainly very small. One hundred and seventy-four women and girls have been trained at the Centre, and all but one entered domestic work on completion of their training.