§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the 506W Construction Industry Training Board Centre in Glasgow.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon Friend the Member for Fife, Central (Mr Hamilton) on 3rd November.—[Vol. 899. c.25–6.]
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what consultations he proposes to have with representatives of the construction industry with a view to ensuring the survival of the Glasgow centre for training skilled construction workers for the oil industry.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI do not propose at this stage to consult with the representatives of the construction industry as this is initially the responsibility of the Construction Industry Training Board. If employers in the industry would support the courses at the centre, which was set up at the request of the industry, the viability of the centre would be assured. The board will be keeping the position under review in consultation with the appropriate representatives of the industry.
The Construction Industry Training Board has set up an advisory committee consisting of leading local representatives of both sides of industry and other appropriate interests. The advisory committee is responsible for advising on the training programmes to be provided at the centre and its long term development.
The centre will be able to offer a growing range of courses to meet the training needs of construction employers, in particular those engaged in concrete gravity structure fabrication, but increasing and continuing support by the industry is essential.
The board is concerned at the lack of take-up and is actively drawing the attention of the industry to the facility and the value to it and to Scotland of maintaining a long-term industry training facility. At "open day" of the centre on 23rd October the CITB Deputy Chairman invited lcal firms t give maximum support to the centre. I endorse that appeal and urge employers to make full use of the valuable facilities at this centre
In July 1975 the Commission of the European Communities reserved the following amounts for the Construction 507W Industry Training Board for training activities carried out in the Centre.
£ 1975 15,240 1976 44,165 1977 50,155 Total 109,560 The Manpower Services Commission has made available to the CITB, through the Training Services Agency, grant in aid to a maximum of £96,500 over the financial years ending on 31st March 1976 and 1977, to assist the initial use and throughput on these new course facilities.