§ 16. Mr. Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in his circular on nursery education issued on 31st January 1973, he has included the employment of women as one of his criteria for priorities to be considered in planning a programme of nursery provision.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasNo. The primary considerations for the expansion of nursery provision are educational.
§ Mr. EllisIs the Secretary of State aware that some firms in Wrexham are large employers of women but are having difficulty in recruiting women labour? As women's activity rates are complementary to and apparently often limited by the rate of male employment in industry, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman kill two birds with one stone and ask his task force in North Wales to urge the Denbighshire education authority to provide nursery school facilities in certain areas of Wrexham?
§ Mr. ThomasI am aware that domestic difficulties prevent some mothers from taking up the employment available to them in the Wrexham area. However, the nursery school day does not correspond to the normal working day. The day care of young children while a mother is working is a function of the social services department and should not be confused with nursery education.