§ 66. Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will request local authorities to provide him with information on the number of battered wives seeking help from social service departments and the manner in which the departments are able to help.
§ Sir K. JosephMy Department is exploring, with the help of other Departments, legal, financial, and social aspects of this problem so that I may consider whether I ought to issue guidance. I 147W would prefer not to delay action by a formal survey, but I would welcome information from social services authorities, voluntary bodies, solicitors or others on their experience of the problem.