INCREASE IN SCOUT MEMBERSHIP

That this House welcomes the announcement by The Scout Association that membership of the movement, in its centenary year, has increased over the past 12 months to a total of 452,472; notes that every section showed an increase, Beaver Scouts up 0.9 per cent., Cub Scouts 1.2 per cent., Scouts 3.2 per cent., Explorer Scouts 5.3 per cent. and Scout Network 11.6 per cent., with leaders up 0.7 per cent.; is concerned, however, that nearly 29,500 young people are on waiting lists, an increase of 1,000 over the previous year, generally because of the lack of leaders; and therefore supports moves to encourage more adults to volunteer to become Scout leaders so that the movement can show further increases in membership as it embarks on the next 100 years of Scouting.