§ 54. Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed as public service vehicle licence drivers, during each of the last five years; and whether he has received representations about the need for his Department to provide alternative employment.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkIt is estimated that the numbers of persons employed as public service vehicle drivers in the five years 1966 to 1970 were as follows:
1966 … … … 99,128 1967 … … … 99,166 1968 … … … 96,939 1969 … … … 94,835 1970 … … … 98,168 Figures for 1971 are not yet available.
I have received no representations on the need to provide alternative employment for this category of worker.
§ 66. Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many public service vehicle drivers were made redundant during the last five years, respectively, and up to the latest convenient date for which his Department has details; and whether he has considered a departmental training scheme for the heavy goods drivers' licence to be made available to passenger service vehicle licence holders before and after redundancy takes place, the cost of which shall be borne by the Department.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkI regret that the information asked for in the first part of the question is not available.
My Department is co-operating with the Road Transport Industry Training Board in a scheme to train unemployed people including former public service vehicle drivers for the new heavy goods vehicle driver's licence. The training is free and the trainees receive allowances under the Government Vocational Training Scheme.