§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers of registered drug addicts who are in day to day de facto care and control of children.
§ Dr. OwenSo far as I am aware information is not available about the number of registered drug addicts who are in control of children.
§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in respect of how many children for the most recently available year care proceedings have been taken on account of their parents' or guardians' involvement in drug offences;
(2) in respect of how many children for the most recently available year care proceedings have been taken on account of their parents or guardians being squatters or otherwise of no fixed abode.
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§ Dr. OwenThe fact that parents or guardians of a child may have been involved in drug offences or be squatters or otherwise of no fixed abode would not be grounds for taking care proceedings, though such proceedings could be taken if as a consequence a child were ill-treated, neglected or exposed to moral danger or his proper development was being avoidably prevented or neglected or his health was being avoidably impaired or neglected.
During the 12 months ending 31st December 1973, the latest date for which figures are available, care proceedings were brought in respect of 2,033 children and young persons on the grounds mentioned above, but I regret that information about the number of those children whose parents had been involved in drug offences or were squatters or otherwise of no fixed abode is not available. Some children of such parents may, however, be received into voluntary care and, as the White Paper "Children in Care in England and Wales" (Cmnd. 6147) published recently shows, included among the children who came into care in the year ended 31st March 1974 were 2,410 where the reason was family homeless
Hospital Whole-Time Equivalent Trained Nursing Staff Whole-Time Equivalent Agency Staff Proportion Per cent. Royal Victoria: Shelley Road … … 157 30.5 19.4 Gloucester Road … … Westbourne Branch … … Royal National … … 30 2.5 8.3 Firs Maternity … … 25 1.5 6 Douglas House … … 22 — — 234 34.5 14.8