§ 74. Mr. Iremongerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance he is giving to local authorities about the maximum and optimum sizes of play groups licensed by them, with special reference to the London Borough of Redbridge.
§ Sir K. JosephCurrent guidance issued by my Department to all local authorities concerning play groups emphasises that authorities should have regard to the accommodation and facilities, the number and quality of the staff, the amount of time the children spend in the group and their ages, and recommends that the number of children in any one room should not exceed 25.
§ Mr. Iremongerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many play groups are licensed by the London Borough of Redbridge; and how many children are accommodated in each.
§ Sir K. JosephThe number of premises registered for play group purposes by the London Borough of Redbridge is 90, accommodating 3,160 children. Information about the number of children in each play group is not collected centrally.