Mr. Astorasked the President of the Board of Education how many centres are being run by local education authorities and voluntary organisations in the Greater London area; whether he can give any estimate of the number of boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 14 years who attend them; and what proportion this represents of the total child population of the area between these ages?
§ Mr. ButlerI am unable to give the desired information for the Greater London area, but in the London County Council area 130 play centres for children aged 11 to 14 are now conducted by the local education authority, and it is estimated that there are 2,850 clubs and other units for children of this age conducted by voluntary organisations in this area. The estimated number of boys and girls aged between 11 and 14 years who attend is 52,250, or about 60 per cent. of the total of 86,600 children of this age now in the area.