HC Deb 25 May 1972 vol 837 cc455-6W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, from information available from international sources, what has been the percentage increase in the number undergoing full- and part-time education in Belgium since 1958–59; and how this compares with the percentage increase during the same period in Scotland.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

Between 1958–59 and 1967–68, the latest year for which information is available, the number of children attending schools, excluding special schools, in Belgium appears to have increased by 16.1 per cent. compared with an increase of 6.4 per cent. in Scotland. This comparison is not wholly reliable since the statistics for the two countries are compiled on different bases. Moreover, variations in actual numbers depend on demographic as well as educational considerations.