§ 43. Mr. Swinglerasked the Postmaster-General what training colleges for Post Office workers at present exist in the West Midlands; what changes are proposed in the sizes or locations of these colleges; how many staff members and students are affected by these proposals; what will be the total cost of carrying them out; and how he intends to dispose of the buildings and houses vacated.
§ Miss PikeThe Post Office training colleges in the West Midlands at present are the Central Engineering Training School, Stone, Staffs.: the Regional Postal Training School, Featherstone, Wolverhampton, Staffs.: the Regional Wing Telephone Training School, Newhall Street, Birmingham, 3: the Regional Clerical Training School, Broad Street, Birmingham, 15: the Regional Engineering Training School, Shirley, Warwickshire.
The only change at present in prospect is the removal of the Central Engineering Training School, at present housed in war-time temporary buildings, to new accommodation at Harlow, Essex. Planning is in progress and the new buildings are expected to be ready for occupation about the end of 1965. No change is proposed in the size of the school.
115WThe school has 94 lecturers and office staff, 95 demonstrators and technical services staff, and 125 hosted and domestic staff. There may be up to 600 students at the school at any one time.
The cost of building the new school is likely to be of the order of £1.8 million. The net cost of providing equipment will be about £0.2 million.
Possible alternative uses for the site and buildings at Stone are being considered.