asked the Minister without Portfolio what action about the provision of nursery facilities for the children of mothers at work he is proposing as a result of the deliberations of the Women's Consultative Council of which he is chairman.

I have no responsibility for providing such facilities. The subject is one of several arising in discussions of the social consequences of economic growth in which the Women's Consultative Council has been engaged over the past year. My right hon. Friends concerned are kept fully informed of these discussions.

Surely if the right hon. Gentleman is chairman of a Committee of some importance he ought to make a report to improve the facilities. Is he aware that there are 2¼ million children at the ages of 2 to 4, many of whom need nursery school facilities, and only 455 local education authority schools. Will he accelerate his deliberations so that a report can be put forward to the right quarters?

We are aware of those facts. We have had some valuable discussions on them, and my right hon. Friends have been informed of the consequences of those discussions.