§ 28. Mr. Sorensenasked the President Of the Board of Education the present approximate number of evacuated schoolchildren; to what extent there has been a recent increase in child evacuation in the London area; and approximately what proportion of children are now not receiving full-time education?
§ Mr. ButlerAccording to the latest returns received from local education authorities, the approximate number of evacuated schoolchildren in the reception areas in December, 1942, was 222,000. There has been no material change during recent weeks in child evacuation from the -London area. The proportion of children who were receiving less than full-time education at the date of the last returns in December last was approximately one-half of 1 per cent.
§ Mr. SorensenEven though that is a gratifying and small percentage, what steps is my right hon. Friend taking to 1222 see that even the few that exist have full-time education?
§ Mr. ButlerWe have reduced this problem to an absolute minimum under war conditions, and I shall squeeze the matter further, but it would be difficult to find any better result than we have achieved in any country in the world.