HC Deb 03 August 1976 vol 916 c658W
20. Mr. Tebbit

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the present percentage of illiterates amongst the population of England and Wales; and how this compares with the figures for 1956 and 1966.

Mr. Gerry Fowler

Such statistics are not available. For reasons which were explained in the Bullock Committee's report "A Language for Life" it is impossible to say with certainty how many adult illiterates or semi-literates there are in the country.