HC Deb 24 July 1979 vol 971 c189W
Mr. Thornton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children have been undertaking further education at the recent most convenient date in (a) the whole of England and Wales, (b) the metropolitan areas, in-

Full-time and sandwich Part-time
(a) England and Wales 221,922 357,374
(b) The metropolitan areas, including the GLC 82,997 152,935
(c) Merseyside—included in (b) above 8,596 13,185
The figures for England and Wales five and 10 years previously are as follows, but comparison is affected by the raising of the school leaving age in 1973–74.
1972–73 172,888 446,538
1967–68 134,130 536,242
Owing to the changes in local authority boundaries following reorganisation, it is not possible to provide figures for the metropolitan areas for the two earlier years.