§ 7. Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many nursery schools, English speaking and Welsh speaking, respectively, there are in Flintshire, giving the location of each.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasOne, at Shotton. English is the medium of instruction.
§ Mr. JonesIs the Secretary of State not aware of the rocketing population in Flintshire, particularly East Flintshire? 9 Would he not agree that, in those circumstances, there is, on new housing estates, a real and acute need for nursery school provision? Is there any action that he might take to encourage and assist local authorities to provide more nursery schools?
§ Mr. Peter ThomasYes, I am aware of the great increase in population in Flintshire, but priority at this stage is being given to the replacement of inadequate pre-1903 primary schools. Later, I hope, we shall be able to give greater priority to the needs of nursery schools. I am, however, continuing to develop nursery education in areas of special need.
§ Mr. Elystan MorganDoes the right hon. Gentleman not appreciate that there are now five times the number of mothers working in Wales that there were in 1950, and that this creates a substantial social problem, to which the provision of nursery schools is part of the answer?
§ Mr. Peter ThomasYes, a lot of children under five go to primary schools; 57 per cent. of the four-year-old age group are in primary schools.