§ Mr. Gurdenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were in the care of Birmingham City Council each year from 1949 to 1968; and how many of these are of immigrant stock.
§ Mr. Elystan MorganAccording to returns furnished by the Birmingham City Council, the Answer to the first part of the Question is as follows:
1949 … … … … 1,582 1950 … … … … 1,624 1951 … … … … 1,592 1952 … … … … 1,503 1953 … … … … 1,485 1954 … … … … 1,338 1956 … … … … 1,320 1957 … … … … 1,296 1958 … … … … 1,276 1959 … … … … 1,364 1960 … … … … 1,397 1961 … … … … 1,492 1962 … … … … 1,598 1963 … … … … 1,604 1964 … … … … 1,722 1965 … … … … 1,827 1966 … … … … 2,019 1967 … … … … 2,130 1968 … … … … 2,277 The figures from 1949 to 1954 were as at 30th November in each year; and from 1956 to 1968 as at 31st March.
No statistics relating to the origin of children in care were called for until 1967, when those local authorities wishing to claim grant under Section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 (which relates to areas with a concentration of immigrants) were asked to state the number of children in care who were immigrants. Immigrants were defined as persons born in another Commonwealth country who have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for less than ten years and the children of such persons. The claims submitted by the Council for this purpose show that the number of immigrant children in the Council's care was 535 on 31st March, 1967, and 585 on 31st March, 1968.