HC Deb 01 April 1968 vol 762 cc14-5W
85. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Minister of Labour how many skilled building trade workers are currently employed in Scotland and in Glasgow and Fife, respectively; how many have been unemployed for more than eight weeks; and what skills such men possess.

Mr. Fernyhough

I regret that information is not available to enable me to answer the first two parts of the Question. Estimates of insured employees are not analysed by skill or occupation. Unemployment is analysed by duration and age and not by duration and occupation.

I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the numbers of building trades craftsmen registered as unemployed in Scotland, the Glasgow travel-to-work area and Fife, who were last employed in the construction industry (Minimum List Heading 500 of the Standard Industrial classification).

Following is the information:

BUILDING TRADES CRAFTSMEN REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED ON 12TH FEBRUARY, 1968 WHO WERE LAST EMPLOYED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Scotland Glasgow Travel-to-work Area Fife
Carpenter, joiner 402 131 14
Bricklayer 347 117 7
Mason, stone carver 50 12 —
Slater, tiler, thatcher 67 33 2
Plasterer 111 38 3
Floor and wall tiler, floor etc. layer 42 34 —
House and ship painter paperhanger 773 381 25
Plumber, gas fitter, etc. 299 133 5
Glazier 6 4 —
Electrician 308 138 7
All craftsmen 2,405 1,021 63

Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trade workers completed training for a skill in Government training centres in Scotland in each of the last 15 years; and to what extent there is still a shortage of skilled workers in the building industry there.

Mr. Hattersley

These figures are only readily available for the last three years.

The number of men completing training in building trades in Government training centres in Scotland was 496 in 1967, 326 in 1966, and 195 in 1965. The estimated figure for 1964 was 130. There was no building trade training from 1953 to 1963 in the only centre then in existence in Scotland. Shortages of skilled building labour in Scotland are at present local rather than general, and their extent varies according to occupation and area. So far there has been no difficulty in placing trainees.