HC Deb 16 February 1989 vol 147 c294W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children there were in local authority care for each year since 1979.

Mr. Grist

The numbers of children in care on 31 March in each year were as follows:

Numbers
1979 4,882
1980 4,861
1981 4,628
1982 4,575
1983 4,387
1984 4,044
1985 3,752
1986 3,593
1987 3,481
19881 3,438
1 Provisional figure.