asked the Minister of Labour how many men have now received vocational training under Government schemes; and what proportion of them have secured employment at the end of their studies.

Thirty-eight thousand, three hundred and ten men have completed courses under the vocational training scheme and approximately 85 per cent. of them have secured employment. Action to place the remainder is in hand.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how many of these are ex-Service men and disabled?

Not without notice

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is satisfied that the Government's vocational training scheme is working satisfactorily; and what steps are being taken to improve the arrangements.

Yes, Sir. The scheme is kept under constant review in consultation with the representatives of industry to ensure that any possible improvements may be effected.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that certain difficulties have arisen in the electrical industry and also in the placing of joiners in industry, and would not he agree that it may be useful to have a conference with the employers and the trade unions from time to time to review these matters?

Those are not difficulties arising out of the scheme. Those are difficulties in industry arising from a shortage of raw materials, and we are having these conferences once a quarter with representatives from all sides of the industry to see how we can get over the trouble.

Has the Minister overcome the difficulty of placing ex-Service men trainees, which does not arise from the shortage of raw materials?

That is rather a different question from the one on the Order Paper, but if my hon. and gallant Friend will put down a Question, I will certainly give an answer.

asked the Minister of Labour what financial provision he has made under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, for the vocational training of people registered under this Act on account of defective vision, whose disability is not sufficiently severe to entitle them to benefits under the Blind Persons Act.

Courses ot vocational training with allowances are available to persons who are handicapped in getting employment by defective vision irrespective of their position under the Blind Persons Act.

Is the Minister aware that there are several borderline cases where persons fall between two stools. They are not blind persons and they are not fully-sighted persons, and it is extraordinarily difficult for these people to hold a job when they get it. There are several jobs for which they could be trained, and with the goodwill of the employer they would be able to get employment in the capacity for which they are trained.

This type of person is covered by our training scheme, and he or she will be entitled to employment in the remploy factories when they are erected.

I have in my possession cases for which there are no facilities either for the training or for the employment of these persons?

I should like to have those cases, and I would be obliged if my hon Friend would send them to me.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the case of these semi-sighted men is one which really needs looking into with sympathy and understanding, and that it is by no means a solution to send them to remploy factories? Is he aware that a great many of these men could be working in ordinary industry?

I am rather surprised at the supplementary question, because this is the type of case which is receiving great attention in my Department

asked the Minister of Labour if he will cause an inquiry, by the sampling method or otherwise, to ascertain whether employers generally are including three per cent. of disabled persons in their labour force as required by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944.

Written inquiries are in course of being made of all employers of 20 or more workers with respect to the fulfilment of their obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, and these will be followed as necessary by an inspection of records.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many employers have most sympathetically fitted men into simple jobs, and will he expedite this inquiry so that those who do not know of their obligations may be informed of them?

I think that is a correct statement of the facts in industry. We hope to get all these replies in by the middle of next month and we shall then be in a position to see what help we should give employers, not only to keep them right as to their obligations, but to assist them to meet those obligations by providing the types of disabled persons for the types of jobs they have.

Even if all employers employed their full quota at present, does the right hon. Gentleman think that that would take up all the unemployed disabled men, and if not, will he consider increasing the quota immediately?

This is a matter which is under consideration. We are advised by some very good people who are themselves disabled. This is examined every month, and it is to be the subject of examination tomorrow

In order to make sure that employers employ the right percentage, why cannot the number of disabled men employed be shown on the returns sent to the Department?

That is the return which is being asked for.

asked the Minister of Labour whether a displaced person brought over to this country is, after any given period of time, free to leave one industry for another.

No, Sir. Change of employment is in all cases subject to the consent of the Ministry of Labour.

Is the right hon. Gentleman's Department likely to give permission for a person to change from one industry to another after, say, a period of one year?

It would depend on the merits of the particular case, but we would not look with favour on a man moving from an undermanned industry to one which is overmanned.

What sanction has the right hon. Gentleman got to secure that people do not change without his approval?

The sanction is to send them back again.

asked the Minister of Labour how many women the Government expect to re-enter industry in answer to their latest appeal; and when he will make a statement on the results of that appeal.

I am not yet in a position to estimate the results of the campaign.

May I ask, first, when will the right hon. Gentleman be in a position to estimate the results of the campaign, and secondly, does he think it is fair to ask women to do two jobs—at home and in the factory—when so many men are asking for a shorter and shorter week?

With regard to the first part of the supplementary question, I hope to be in a position to give an estimate of the results of the campaign in the middle of next month. As regards the latter part, I do not think it really arises.

Oh.

Will the Minister take steps to see that undue pressure is not placed upon women applicants to enter domestic work?

This is a campaign to get women to give part-time employment. It is purely voluntary. No pressure is applied to women who have great domestic responsibility, but those who can do so are asked to give us help in undermanned vital industries. In that sense, we are not excluding hospitals and public institutions.

Is it estimated that the women will balance out the number of children remaining at school owing to the raising of the school-leaving age?

That is rather a different question.

No, it is not.

asked the Minister of Labour how many ex-Service officers and other ranks were registered as unemployed at the latest convenient date.

The numbers of ex-Service men and women registered as unemployed at 12th May were 53,964 and 3,658 respectively, of whom 6,374 and 173 were ex-officers registered with the Appointments Department. Separate figures for ex-officers registered at employment exchanges are not available.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the serious plight in which many of these men now find themselves? Will he tell the House what steps he proposes to take in his own Department to try to improve the situation?

I am awar; of the very parlous plight of many of these persons, and I have great sympathy with them, but the hon. and gallant Member will appreciate that in one month we have reduced the figure by 17,000 and that is not bad going in dealing with this problem.