HC Deb 05 December 1966 vol 737 cc194-6W
73. Mr. Ridley

asked the Minister of Labour how many places in Government training centres will be provided by 1969.

Mr. Gunter

As I told the House last Wednesday, by the end of 1968 the number of places in Government Training Centres will be approaching 10,000. I am not able to say more than that at this stage.

84. Mr. Hooley

asked the Minister of Labour how many places are available in Government industrial training centres for training older men and women in computer programming.

Mr. Gunter

No courses in computer programming are provided at Government Training Centres.

86 and 87. Mr. Tilney

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what arrangements he has made with the unions concerned for those who are retrained in a Government training centre and have passed the examination set by the London City and Guilds to be accepted as qualified by the appropriate union;

(2) whether he will ensure that anyone attending a Government training centre and passing the requisite examination will not be penalised by the union of the particular craft involved because he has not served the full period of apprenticeship.

Mr. Gunter

The only training scheme at Government Training Centres which includes a practical test by the City and Guilds of London Institute is that for heating and ventilating fitters.

Date Number of Centres Number of Places Number in Training Places Unfilled
11th December, 1961 … 1 131 102 29
10th December, 1962 … 1 131 96 35
9th December, 1963 … 3 347 279 68
14th December, 1964 … 5 529 384 145
13th December, 1965 … 7 781 584 197
21st November, 1966 … 7 893 784 109

94. Mr. Blenkinsop

asked the Minister of Labour how many residential training centres are proposed to be established by industrial training boards in the Northern Region.

Mr. Gunter

None.

96. Mr. Armstrong

asked the Minister of Labour if, in considering the location of the fourth Government training centre to be started in the next financial year, he will pay special regard to the needs of West Durham and the availability at Brancepeth of a suitable site recently vacated by the Ministry of Defence.

Mr. Gunter

An announcement about the location of the fourth new Government Training Centre is likely to be made very shortly. West Durham is already fairly well served by the training centre at Tursdale.

This scheme, which includes provision for the placing and continued training of trainees with employers, was drawn up in agreement with the industry's National Joint Industrial Council. There is no general difficulty in operating the arrangements.

90. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies are at present available in Government training centres in Scotland, with particular reference to Aberdeen; what steps he is taking to solve the relevant problems and how these figures and measures compare with those there during each of the last five years.

Mr. Gunter

On 21st November there were 109 vacancies at Government Training Centres in Scotland. There is no centre in Aberdeen and people from Aberdeen are free to attend any of the seven Scottish centres. Plans for expansion provide for some 200 additional places in existing centres, a new centre for Edinburgh next year and a new centre for Lanarkshire in 1968–69.

The number and location of Centres in Scotland, together with numbers of places available and unfilled during the last five years are as follows: