§ 82. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Education how many children, aged two to five years, there are in Wales; how many nursery schools 209W have been provided in Wales; where they are situated; how many children are attending them; whether he is aware of the great demand for further schools: and what proposals and plans he has for their erection.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThe number of children in Wales, including Monmouth-shire, between the ages of two and five years, is not known exactly but is about 116,000. There are 34 nursery schools in Wales: these are situated in the Counties of Brecon (1), Flint (1), Glamorgan (12), Monmouth (9), and in the County Boroughs of Cardiff (8), Merthyr Tydfil (1) and Swansea (2). The number of children on the registers of these schools in January, 1948, was 1,870. In addition, there were 24,797 children under five years of age attending classes in primary schools maintained by local education authorities. I am aware of the demand for further nursery school provision, but, except in very special circumstances, I cannot agree to the inclusion of new schools of this kind in the Ministry's building programme until more urgent demands have been met.