§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of children in local authority care and the number of children fostered in England and Wales for each year since 1945.
§ Mr. MoyleInformation in the form requested is only available since 1949, as follows:—
618W
Year Total children in care (thousands) Number boarded out (thousands) 1949 … 55.3 19.3 1950 … 59.0 21.7 1951 … 62.7 24.3 1952 … 64.7 26.3 1953 … 65.3 27.5 1954 … 64.6 28.7 1956 … 62.3 27.1 1957 … 62.0 27.3 1958 … 62.1 27.3 1959 … 61.6 28.2 1960 … 61.7 28.7 1961 … 62.2 29.1 1962 … 63.6 30.2 1963 … 64.8 31.2 1964 … 66.3 31.9 1965 … 67.1 31.8 1966 … 69.2 31.8 1967 … 69.4 31.5 1968 … 69.4 31.0 1969 … 70.2 30.5 1970 … 71.2 30.3 1971 … 87.4 30.2 1972 … 90.6 29.9 1973 … 93.2 29.8 1974 … 95.9 30.7 1975 … 99.1 31.9 1976 … 100.6 33.1 Notes:
(1) The date of collection was 30th November from 1949–54 and 31st March from 1956 onwards.
(2) Figures for 1977 are not yet available.
(3) Figures prior to 1971 do not include numbers of children (a) on Approved School orders, (b) supervised following release from approved schools, or (c) on remand.