asked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies have been filled by those on the Professional and Executive Register in the last year for which figures are available.

7,169 between 12th March, 1964, and 3rd March, 1965.

Has the Minister noticed that the many advertised posts for skilled professional men are generally restricted to people under 40 or 45 years of age? What publicity is he giving to the benefits which can come from this register so that employers may use it more than at present?

This is a separate problem. The Ministry has for some time been looking into the problem of the employment of the over-40s. I hope that employers will realise that the Professional and Executive Register can provide a very good service indeed. It is already doing so—it is expanding the number of people with whom it deals—for people qualified as executives or technologists, whatever their age.