§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Minister of Labour how many men have been retrained in Wales during the last 12 months; and how many of these were formerly miners.
§ Mr. HattersleyThis information is not available in respect of the whole field of industrial training. 815 men completed courses at Government Training Centres in Wales during the last 12 months. These included seven former miners who had been declared redundant. It is not known how many of the rest were formerly miners.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is aware, in view of declining employment opportunities in the Welsh mining industry, that the present expansion plans of Government training centres are inadequate; and what new steps are now to be undertaken to develop and expand the training facilities in Wales.
§ Mr. HattersleyI have been asked to reply. We are considering whether further Government training centres are needed in Wales, but plans already announced should go a long way towards satisfying the need for this type of training. In addition to the two existing centres at Cardiff and Llanelli, it is hoped that the new centre at Port Talbot will open by the end of 1968. Work will also start on a fourth centre at Wrexham in North Wales in the financial year 1968–69. By the spring of 1970 Wales will thus have four centres with an annual output of some 1,800 trained men, almost double the present output.
The provision of such Centres is only one part of the Government's plans to expand training facilities in Wales and other Development Areas. The rates of grant payable to firms who move into, or expand in Development Areas, to assist them with training workers for new jobs, have been doubled with effect from 16th October, 1967, and other grants are available through Training Boards to firms which expand their training facilities.