Oral Answers to Questions — Employment – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 7 Rhagfyr 1964.
Mr Cyril Bence
, Dunbartonshire East
12:00,
7 Rhagfyr 1964
asked the Minister of Labour what has been the loss of skilled manpower from Scotland in the years 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963, respectively.
Mr Raymond Gunter
, Southwark
I regret that information about the loss of skilled manpower is not available. It is estimated, however, that the net loss of employees of all kinds was 9,000, 24,000, 11,000, 18,000, and 13,000 in the years 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.
Mr Cyril Bence
, Dunbartonshire East
Is my right hon. Friend aware that these figures are shocking to us in Scotland, because at present there is a shortage of skilled labour in Scotland? Are we right in assuming that the major loss has been in skilled labour? Will my right hon. Friend consult the responsible Cabinet Minister to see if something can be done to bring new scientific-based industries to Scotland so that we can keep our skilled labour at home?
Mr Raymond Gunter
, Southwark
It is very difficult to say what percentage of skilled labour is involved in the total figure, but we are very much aware of the shortage of skilled labour in certain parts of Scotland. I believe that my hon. Friend's next Question will have something to do with that.
Mr Gordon Campbell
, Moray and Nairnshire
Will not the situation be made more difficult by the 7 per cent. Bank Rate, which must impede regional development?
Mr Raymond Gunter
, Southwark
I do not think that a supplementary question about the 7 per cent. Bank Rate relates to the Question I am asked on the Order Paper.
Mr Cyril Bence
, Dunbartonshire East
asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to provide training facilities in Scotland to meet the needs of new and expanding industries.
Mr Raymond Gunter
, Southwark
I am at present reviewing the adequacy of training facilities throughout the country including Scotland. Under the present programme for the expansion of the Government training centres in Scotland four new centres have been provided within the last eighteen months, making five in all, and two more will be coming into use next year.
Mr Cyril Bence
, Dunbartonshire East
I thank my right hon. Friend for the information he has given me. Will he inquire what measures are being taken to provide training for men between 45 and 50, because many men in this age group are being made redundant in the Scottish coal industry? In many cases these are the sort of men who need training for new skills.
Mr Raymond Gunter
, Southwark
We hope that the centres will be able to train 1,700 adults and 144 first-year apprentices annually.
Mr Joseph Godber
, Grantham
Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the figures he gave show that a considerable proportion of the increased number of places being made available in Government training centres is devoted to Scotland?
Mr Raymond Gunter
, Southwark
Yes, that is true.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
The order paper is issued daily and lists the business which will be dealt with during that day's sitting of the House of Commons.
It provides MPs with details of what will be happening in the House throughout the day.
It also gives details of when and where the standing committees and select committees of the Commons will be meeting.
Written questions tabled to ministers by MPs on the previous day are listed at the back of the order paper.
The order paper forms one section of the daily vote bundle and is issued by the Vote Office
