§ Mr. George Grantasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current number of persons unemployed who were last employed in the hotel and catering industry.
§ Mr. GoldingAt August 1976, the latest date for which an industrial analysis is available, the number in Great Britain was 58,502.
§ Mr. George Grantasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many foreign workers holding work permits are at present employed in the hotel and catering industry; and what were the numbers in each of the three previous years.
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§ Mr. John GrantStatistics are not available in the form requested. Work permits are issued for a period of up to 12 months. Some of the permits for workers in the hotel and catering industry are for seasonal employment only. Most of such seasonal workers are unskilled and extensions of stay beyond 31st October in any year are not given in these cases. Permits issued—including permission given for those already in this country when the application was made—for work in the hotel and catering industry in the years 1973–75 and for the period January-September 1976 were as follows. Precise figures for seasonal permits are not available.
Foreign Commonwealth Total Seasonal workers (within the total) (approximate) 1973 … 6,723 461 7,184 2,800 1974 … 6,669 479 7,148 2,400 1975 … 7,660 1,502 9,162 3,300 1976 … 2,863 543 3,406 600
§ Mr. George Grantasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimate of foreign workers without permits in the hotel and catering industry; and what plans he has to reduce this figure.
§ Mr. John GrantThe very nature of illegal working makes measurement or investigation of the subject difficult. I have no estimate of the numbers concerned in any industry. My Department and the Home Office are jointly considering the subject of illegal working generally and we are concerned to find a practicable answer to the problem.
§ Mr. George Grantasked the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for training British workers for the hotel and catering industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that for the past 10 years the hotel and catering industry has been responsible for promoting training within the industry. Initially, this was effected by operating a grant scheme to reward employers who were providing the right quality of training, and ensuring that there were sufficient trained staff at all levels. Since 1973 a change of emphasis has been implemented. The objective is now to assist 571W the hotel and catering industry to develop and implement systematic training relevant to and effective for its short-term and long-term needs, and a levy/exemption scheme operates to encourage employers to meet their own and industry's needs. In excess of 80 per cent of employers in scope to the board have achieved exemption status.
During the present economic circumstances we have been conscious of the need to give all possible support to the employment opportunities in the hotel and catering industry. The following assistance has already been offered to the industry in the current year:
In addition to these grants, a training award scheme is presently being operated by the ITB under which trainees at Glasgow, Fife, Blackpool and Birmingham are receiving training sponsored by the Board to enable them to enter the industry.
- (a) 200 premium grants for on the job training at a cost to Government funds of £850 each, supplemented by the ITB to the extent of £200 each.
- (b) 90 grants for the industrial part of sandwich courses at £20 for 15 weeks.
TOPS courses also play their part. A total of 1,520 places—hotel reception 250, food preparation 635, City and Guilds catering 245, basic cookery 363, management 27—had been taken up at 31 August this year, and it is estimated that 2,300 will have completed courses associated with the hotel and catering industry by the end of the calendar year.
The work experience programme is another avenue by which experience and incidental training relevant to the industry is being made available to the British work force. The industry response has been encouraging, but it is too early in this programme to give quantative results.