§ Mr. Tilleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, how many apprentices employed by the Property Services Agency will complete their training during the current year; and how many of these will be, or have been, dismissed without redundancy pay.
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§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg287 apprentices will complete their apprenticeships this year: all in the next few weeks. 169 are expected to be offered continuing employment as craftsmen and strenuous efforts are being made to see whether the remaining 118 can be retained to fill other essential vacancies. An apprenticeship is a fixed-term contract. If an apprentice cannot be offered employment he receives an appropriate short-term gratuity under the Civil Service superannuation arrangements. No question of redundancy arises.