§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children there were in local authority care for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. FreemanThe numbers of children in local authority care for each year 1979–86 and provisional figures for 1987 are given in "Children in care of local authorities, year ending 31 March, England", published annually, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Over this period the numbers in care have decreased.