asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people have undergone apprenticeship training, by sector, over the past 10 years.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is estimated that in Great Britain 7·3 per cent. of the work force were unskilled manual workers. The corresponding proportion in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying industries combined was 1 per cent., in manufacturing industries 7·4 per cent., and in other industries and services 7·7 per cent. Later information by industrial sector is not available but data from the general household survey up to 1977 suggest that, in aggregate, the percentage of the work force who are unskilled manual workers has changed little since 1971.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the proportion of the work force employed in each industrial sector over the past 20 years.

The following table gives for employees in employment in Great Britain at June each year the proportions in three broad industrial sectors.there are no statistics available to indicate how many school leavers commence apprenticeships.