§ 19. Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment what investigations are currently being undertaken by the Manpower Services Commission into the problem of the shortage of skilled labour in the engineering industry.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe Manpower Services Commission is not currently undertaking any special investigations into the problem of the shortage of skilled labour in the engineering industry overall. However, the executive arms of the Manpower Services Commission, the Employment Service and Training Services Agencies, together with the National Economic Development Office and the Engineering Industry Training Board, keep the situation under review, and a number of special surveys and pilot schemes have been undertaken in recent months into the need for skilled engineering manpower in the manufacture of oil rig and production platforms for North Sea oil, the engineering construction industry, mechanical engineering industry and toolmaking.