§ 39. Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the number of agriculture apprentices in England. Wales and Scotland, respectively.
§ Mr. StrangThe Agricultural Training Board has recently published its rolling plan covering the board's activities in Great Britain in the period 1978–1981. This includes provision for increasing the number of apprentices from 5,900 to 6,750 with an additional 1,200 persons in its new craft skills training scheme. My right hon. Friends the Minister and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales are reserving judgment on the adequacy of these plans until the EDC for agriculture has completed some studies designed to help quantify the industry's training needs and until the ATB has more experience of the operation of its craft skills training scheme.