HC Deb 29 March 1977 vol 929 cc119-20W
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the number of children in the care of each social services department in the north-west of England, the number of those children boarded out and the number of extra foster parents obtained by those authorities for each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Mr. Moyle

The numbers of children in care and those boarded out at 31st March 1975 and 1976 (provisional) are given below. Comparable figures for 1974 are not available because of the reorganisation of local authorities which took place on 1st April 1974. Information about the number of extra foster parents obtained by local authorities each year is not collected centrally.

guidance already published is sufficient to enable employers to institute the necessary procedures.