§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to assess the benefit provided by the French colonies des vacances; and if he has any plans to introduce a comparable scheme experimentally in Great Britain.
§ Mr. AlisonI am advised that the Frenchcolonies des vacances are holiday centres for children run primarily by approved voluntary organisations. Voluntary organisations in this country have for many years provided holidays for children and, in suitable cases, local authorities can pay for children to go on holiday. We have no plans to introduce any extension of these arrangements.