§ 25. Mr. Harold Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he has taken to encourage local education authorities to make full use of existing education welfare services.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe appointment of education welfare officers, and the duties assigned to them, are matters for the discretion of local education authorities. I have no evidence that the service is not fully used.
§ Mr. WalkerWould my hon. Friend acknowledge that if the existing education welfare services were fully used, there would be no need to appoint special welfare officers for immigrant children, nor would we have to waste teacher talent on welfare services, as we do. Is it not time that we had a unified welfare service?
§ Mr. HowellNo, Sir. I do not accept that contention. I think that my hon. Friend has misconstrued the purpose of the circular on immigration, which is an entirely different matter.