§ Mr. Bradleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will give details about the schemes which exist to assist young trade unionists and other young workers in this country to obtain industrial experience in the countries of the European Economic Community and the young workers from European Economic Community countries to come here for a similar purpose; what are the names of the agencies used for these schemes; and what is the total cost to her Department.
§ Mr. FernyhoughAs regards the first part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the276W hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Haseldine) on 10th July. In addition to the organisations named in that reply the following agencies also help to arrange exchanges of young workers:
- (1) British Council.
- (2) Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges.
- (3) British Committee for the International Exchange of Social Workers and Administrators.
- (4) National Coal Board.
- (5) International Economics Students' Association of Great Britain.
- (6) London Transport Board.
- (7) British Hotels and Restaurants' Association.
- (8) Royal College of Nursing and National Council of Nurses of the United Kingdom.
- (9) Some individual firms and trading organisations.
My Department makes no grant to the non-governmental agencies who operate exchange schemes. It is not possible to assess the cost of participation in the two official schemes referred to in my previous reply, as officers of my Department undertake this work as part of their normal duties.—[Vol. 786, c. 287–8.]
§ Mr. Richardasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity to what extent her Department cooperates with the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress in the development of vocational, professional and similar exchange programmes for apprentices and other appropriate categories of younger persons between Great Britain and member and applicant states of the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. FernyhoughMost exchanges of this kind are currently arranged by firms privately or through voluntary agencies. The possible development of exchange programmes is one of the questions now under consideration by an inter-departmental working party.