HC Deb 25 March 1980 vol 981 cc507-8W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many places there were for children in community homes in the West Midlands and the United Kingdom as a whole in each year from 1970 to the latest convenient date.

Sir George Young

[pursuant to his reply, 11 March 1980, c. 507]: Community homes exist only in England and Wales. Nearest equivalents for Scotland and Northern Ireland are shown separately. Figures for the period 197378, as at 31 March unless otherwise stated, are:

West Midlands Region (Local Authority maintained and controlled homes)*
1973(1)
1974(1)
1975 3,826
1976 4,040
1977 4,109
1978 3,880

England and Wales (Local Authority maintained and controlled homes)*
1973(1)
1974 34,123(2)
1975 34,971
1976 35,824
1977 35,984
1978 35,359

children for a two-parent family (a) in work and (b) not working through sickness, compared with the combined value of child tax allowances and family allowance in 1955 to a two-parent standard tax-paying family.

Mrs. Chalker

[pursuant to her reply, 14 March 1980, c. 734]: Following is the information:

Scotland (Local Authority Children's Homes and List D Schools)
1973 4,485(3)
1974 4,583(3)
1975 (not available)(4)
1976 4,691
1977 4,836
1978 4,784

Northern Ireland(5) (Children's Homes and Training Schools)
1973 (not available)(6)
1974 1,796
1975 1,760
1976 1,569(7)
1977 1,528
1978 1,505
(1) Figures suitable for comparative purposes are not appropriate for these years due to local government reorganisation and restructuring of local authority services for children.
(2) Due to local government reorganisation a number of homes were not included in returns.
(3) Figures for children's homes included as at 31 December.
(4) Figures for children's homes not collected due to local government reorganisation.
(5) Figures as at 31 December.
(6) Number of places not available prior to 1974.
(7) Reduction of places between 1975 and 1976 was due to reorganisation of homes to replace dormitories with single and double room accommodation.
* Figures for places in assisted community homes are not available but, at 31 March 1978, 4,628 children in care were accommodated in these homes.