65. Mr. Mclnnesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the rapidly increasing illegitimate birth rate 147W among teenage girls in Scotland, he will appoint a committee of inquiry to consider all aspects of this problem, and to recommend what official action should be taken to deal with it.
§ Mr. MaclayNo. Various aspects of this problem are already being considered as part of the inquiry into the law of Scotland relating to children and young persons being carried out by the Committee under Lord Kilbrandon's chairmanship. Although the 1960 figure showed some increase over that for the previous year, the annual rate of births to teenage unmarried women in Scotland has remained fairly steady at between four and five per 1,000 over the past 20 years.