HC Deb 23 May 1972 vol 837 c325W
47. Mr. O'Halloran

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under 15 years of age are now in the care of local authorities in England and Wales.

Mr. Alison

On 31st March, 1971, the latest date for which figures are available, 60,693 children of or below compulsory school age were in the care of

NUMBERS OF CHILDREN OF COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE IN THE CARE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE GREATER LONDON AREA ON 31ST MARCH
1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971*
Barking 93 109 109 129 144 175
Barnet 186 173 168 148 137 152
Bexley 68 63 67 79 81 104
Brent 300 312 349 348 393 404
Bromley 138 148 154 159 200 254
Camden 299 295 298 316 339 359
Croydon 234 189 188 207 215 270
Ealing 208 223 207 214 226 289
Enfield 142 137 134 128 119 137
Greenwich 282 292 274 279 279 346
Hackney 419 421 435 438 514 595
Hammersmith 337 365 380 374 382 444
Haringey 191 238 280 336 370 421
Harrow 64 64 54 58 56 57
Havering 86 99 100 98 111 137
Hillingdon 130 121 136 144 154 174
Hounslow 153 145 131 133 148 174
Islington 585 549 566 502 496 562
Kensington and Chelsea 348 352 372 399 410 418
Kingston 85 66 46 85 95 121
Lambeth 572 574 624 637 643 720
Lewisham 345 358 381 393 396 421
City of London 1 1
Merton 127 128 131 145 170 180
Newham 185 202 201 201 220 283
Redbridge 57 68 58 60 73 94
Richmond 98 97 90 79 103 104
Southwark 464 466 508 567 551 597
Sutton 16 86 85 90 98 131
Tower Hamlets 857 815 817 805 767 831
Waltham Forest 109 110 123 130 134 180
Wandsworth 450 461 501 545 562 671
City of Westminster 386 375 394 403 429 418
Totals 8,015 8,101 8,361 8,629 9,015 10,224
* The figures for 1971 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years, since on 1st January, 1971 the power of thte courts to commit to approved school was replaced by a power to commit to the care of a local authoriy, and all persons under 19 then subject to approved school orders or to supervision after release from approved school were deemed from that date to be subject to care orders