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Column 561

DS2 packs, supplied to customers direct from BA offices, provide an opportunity for a customer to complete and return their claim within a 6 week period whilst maintaining their original date of claim.

The total number of AA claims received for the period April 1992 to January 1995 is 1,400,000.

I hope you find this reply helpful.

HEALTH

NHS Doctors

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the percentage of doctors still working in the NHS in each of the first 10 years after qualifying; and what were the figures for each of the last 10 years.      [15770]

Mr. Malone: Data are not available in the form requested. Evidence on doctors leaving the profession prematurely is based in studies published in 1991 by Professor James Parkhouse. These studies suggest that about 20 per cent. of doctors are not practising in the national health service five years after qualification. The majority of these however, are not lost permanently to medicine. Many are working in short-term postings overseas, to develop their skills further, while others are working in United Kingdom medical work outside the NHS, or taking short career breaks. The Department has commissioned further cohort studies to provide up to date estimates of wastage from the medical profession.

A recent study by Isobel Allen containing more up-to-date information, based on a sample of 200 doctors qualifying in 1986, found that very few young doctors had left medicine altogether six years after qualification.

Mixed-sex Wards

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities in each regional health authority area have a policy on mixed-sex wards; and how many do not.      [16100]

Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.

Clinical Outcome Indicators

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish health service clinical outcome indicators similar to those published in December 1994 by the Secretary of State for Scotland in respect of individual (a) health authorities and (b) NHS trusts in England; and what timetable is envisaged.      [15866]

Mr. Sackville: Many of the indicators published in Scotland were published for individual health authorities in England in 1993. Existing indicators will henceforth be published annually as part of the public health common data set. Some of the indicators published in Scotland are dependent on linking patient records and this is not yet possible in England. As part of our longer-term plans we are currently working with the clinical professions on a programme to develop new outcome indicators.


Column 562

Dental Services

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make an urgent response to the consultations concluded on 30 November 1994 on the Green Paper, "Improving NHS Dentistry".      [15983]

Mr. Malone: The Government are considering carefully all the contributions received during the consultation. An announcement will be made shortly.

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 13 March, Official Report , column 400 , how many letters from the public mentioned concern with problems of gaining access to NHS dental services en passant; and how many letters from (a) hon. Members, (b) c ommunity health councils, (c) local authorities, (d) professional organisations and (e) patient groups have been received.      [16400]

Mr. Malone: Since January 1994 some 209 letters in which the main point has been availability of general dental services have been received from hon. and right hon. Members. Additionally, two letters have been received direct from patient groups and one letter direct from a professional group.

Family health services authorities consistently report that they can help patients to find national health service dentists.

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family health services authorities have been unable to provide emergency dental services in each month since April 1991.      [16402]

Mr. Malone: General dental practitioners have an obligation under their terms of service to provide emergency cover to their registered patients. They may also offer emergency treatment to non-registered patients. Family health services authorities can make arrangements for emergency treatment for those patients who are not registered and are able to assist all those who inquire about emergency treatment. Where there are already adequate emergency services available from general dental practitioners, or the community or hospital dental services, there is no need for FHSAs themselves to make arrangements.

Information on provision of emergency dental services by family health services authorities is available only for the period from July 1992 to July 1994. Data were received on a weekly rather than a monthly basis and are shown weekly in the table. Since 1 August 1994 more detailed data have been collected weekly on the number of patients referred to the emergency dental service, the community dental service, hospital dental service and salaried dentists instead.


General dental service: Total number of   

family health services                    

authorities reporting that they were not  

providing emergency                       

dental services in each week from 3 July  

1992 to 29 July 1994 <1><3>               

Week ending       |FHSAs                  

------------------------------------------

England                                   

 3 July 1992      |13                     

10 July 1992      |7                      

17 July 1992      |8                      

24 July 1992      |7                      

31 July 1992      |8                      

 7 August 1992    |8                      

14 August 1992    |7                      

21 August 1992    |7                      

28 August 1992    |8                      

 4 September 1992 |8                      

11 September 1992 |8                      

18 September 1992 |8                      

25 September 1992 |8                      

 2 October 1992   |8                      

 9 October 1992   |8                      

16 October 1992   |8                      

23 October 1992   |8                      

30 October 1992   |8                      

 6 November 1992  |8                      

13 November 1992  |7                      

20 November 1992  |7                      

27 November 1992  |7                      

 4 December 1992  |6                      

11 December 1992  |6                      

18 December 1992  |6                      

25 December 1992  |-                      

 1 January 1993   |-                      

 8 January 1993   |6                      

15 January 1993   |6                      

22 January 1993   |6                      

29 January 1993   |6                      

 5 February 1993  |6                      

12 February 1993  |6                      

19 February 1993  |6                      

26 February 1993  |4                      

 5 March 1993     |7                      

12 March 1993     |5                      

19 March 1993     |5                      

26 March 1993     |6                      

 2 April 1993     |6                      

 9 April 1993     |5                      

16 April 1993     |5                      

23 April 1993     |7                      

30 April 1993     |5                      

 7 May 1993       |6                      

14 May 1993       |6                      

21 May 1993       |5                      

28 May 1993       |6                      

 4 June 1993      |7                      

11 June 1993      |6                      

18 June 1993      |5                      

25 June 1993      |5                      

 2 July 1993      |6                      

 9 July 1993      |5                      

16 July 1993      |5                      

23 July 1993      |5                      

30 July 1993      |6                      

 6 August 1993    |5                      

13 August 1993    |6                      

20 August 1993    |6                      

27 August 1993    |6                      

 3 September 1993 |5                      

10 September 1993 |5                      

17 September 1993 |5                      

24 September 1993 |5                      

 1 October 1993   |5                      

08 October 1993   |5                      

15 October 1993   |5                      

22 October 1993   |8                      

29 October 1993   |7                      

 5 November 1993  |8                      

12 November 1993  |6                      

19 November 1993  |5                      

26 November 1993  |6                      

 3 December 1993  |6                      

10 December 1993  |6                      

17 December 1993  |5                      

24 December 1993  |-                      

31 December 1993  |-                      

 7 January 1994   |6                      

14 January 1994   |6                      

21 January 1994   |7                      

28 January 1994   |5                      

 4 February 1994  |6                      

11 February 1994  |6                      

28 February 1994  |5                      

25 February 1994  |7                      

 4 March 1994     |6                      

11 March 1994     |5                      

18 March 1994     |5                      

25 March 1994     |5                      

 1 April 1994     |6                      

 8 April 1994     |<2>-                   

15 April 1994     |8                      

22 April 1994     |8                      

29 April 1994     |6                      

 6 May 1994       |5                      

13 May 1994       |5                      

20 May 1994       |5                      

27 May 1994       |5                      

3 June 1994       |7                      

10 June 1994      |4                      

17 June 1994      |4                      

24 June 1994      |4                      

 1 July 1994      |4                      

 8 July 1994      |4                      

15 July 1994      |4                      

22 July 1994      |4                      

29 July 1994      |6                      

Notes:                                    

<1> Data was not collected during the     

Christmas and new year periods.           

<2> Data received for the week ending 8   

April 1994 are not compatible to the      

other data.                               

<3> From the 1 August 1994 the data is    

not available.                            

Source:                                   

Department of Health.                     

Accident and Emergency Units

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts regularly employ general practitioners to work in accident and emergency units; and what has been the effect on waiting times.      [16099]

Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.

Paramedics

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 13 February, Official Report, column 498, if she will advise ambulance NHS trusts that they should not charge paramedics for their training.      [16271]

Mr. Sackville: This is a matter for individual ambulance trusts.

NHS Pensions Agency

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on plans to privatise the NHS Pensions Agency; and how pensioners will be protected.      [16205]

Mr. Sackville: We have no plans to privatise the national health service pensions scheme. A "prior options" review of the NHS Pensions Agency is currently under way which examines in the usual way the future of


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all of the agency's various functions of administering the NHS pensions and injury benefit schemes. We shall announce our conclusions on the agency's future in due course.

General Practitioners

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received regarding general practitioners and their out-of-hours work commitment.      [16425]

Mr. Malone: We are continuing to have regular discussions with representatives of the medical profession.

Hospital Security

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to improve hospital security.      [15643]

Mr. Sackville: Hospital security is a matter for local management. The Government place great importance on the creation of a safe and secure environment in hospitals as part of quality health care. Guidance has been made available to hospitals by the National Health Service Executive.

Correspondence

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters have been received from (a) the public and (b) hon. Members in each of the last five years concerning (i) London's health service, (ii) hospital closures, (iii) long-term care of the elderly, (iv) mental health services, (v) increasing bureaucracy and (vi) in total on all NHS matters either exclusively or en passant.      [16401]

Mr. Sackville: Detailed information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The total number of letters replied to by the Department of Health in the last five years is as shown in the table:


                 Letters replied                                

                 to                                             

Year            |<1>By ministers|<2>By officials                

----------------------------------------------------------------

1990            |28,100         |<3>34,000                      

1991            |18,001         |30,132                         

1992            |19,704         |48,543                         

1993            |25,559         |58,598                         

1994            |22,341         |44,518                         

<1> Letters received mainly from hon. and right hon. Members.   

<2> Letters received mainly from the public.                    

<3> Estimated.                                                  

Statutory References

Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory references to hon. Members have been made in legislation introduced by her Department or its predecessors since 1965.      [16097]

Mr. Sackville: An analysis of all legislation introduced by this Department and its predecessors since 1965, for any references of the type requested, could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It would be extremely unlikely for reference to be made specifically to an individual hon. Member. Frequent references are made to officers of state and occasional general references are


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made to persons who are Members of one or other of the Houses of Parliament.

Market Testing

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 16 March, Official Report , columns 702-3 , if she will list (a) the location and (b) the specific clinical or clinical support service for which there are 20 local plans to market test.      [16403]

Mr. Sackville: The notified list of local plans to market test clinical support services with other national health service or independent provider units will be placed in the Library.

Hospital Doctors

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will define the role of hospital doctors before and after the reforms.      [16405]

Mr. Malone: There has never been any precise definition of the role of hospital doctors. However, they have always been and continue to be responsible for providing high quality patient care.

Drug Expenditure

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average spending on drugs by (a) fundholders and (b) non-fundholders in the latest available quarter.      [16406]

Mr. Malone: The average net ingredient cost expenditure on drugs prescribed during the quarter October to December 1994 was £18 per patient by fundholders and £19 per patient by non-fundholders.

Hospital Closures

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have temporarily closed (a) their accident and emergency department and (b) any other acute services for any length of time in each of the past 24 months; and if she will list the hospitals, and give details of the length of closure and causes.      [16638]

Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, North (Sir J. Gorst) on 7 March at column 101 .

Hospitalised Boxer (Security Costs)

Ms Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of security guards for the American boxer Gerald McClellan in the Royal London hospital; and on whom this cost falls.      [16639]

Mr. Sackville: National health service trusts are free to take measures that they deem necessary to protect the safety or privacy of patients. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Derek Boorman, chairman of the Royal Hospitals NHS Trust for details.


Column 567

Waiting Lists

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors account for recent trends in lengths of waiting lists for NHS hospital treatment.      [16947]

Mr. Malone: The number of people waiting for treatment has remained at around 10 per cent. of the number of patients treated for over 20 years. Our policy is to ensure that waiting times for treatment are reduced. Nearly half of patients have a waiting time of less than five weeks. In 1987 more than 200,000 were waiting over a year; in December 1994 fewer than 55,000 were waiting over a year. This success has been achieved by a combination of increased activity and better management of specialities with waiting lists.

Stress

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence her Department has that the stress under which (a) nurses, (b) doctors, (c) pharmacists, (d) physiotherapists and (e) ambulance women and other health care professions including dentists has increased or decreased in (i) the last year, (ii) the last four years and (iii) the last 15 years; and if she will make a statement on the suicide rates amongst the above professions.      [16948]

Mr. Malone: We have commissioned Dr Toby Wall of the university of Sheffield to carry out a five-year study of the mental health of the national health service work force and the first results from this research are expected to be available later this year.

Trauma Unit Research Project

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give further details of progress on the trauma pilot scheme at the Staffordshire infirmary; and when she expects to receive the completed evaluation and make proposals for implementation of any recommendations for change throughout England and Wales.      [16850]

Mr. Sackville: We now expect to receive the final report in June 1995. Copies will be placed in the Library when it is published. We will be considering our policy on trauma centres in the light of the report. Consideration of the report in respect of Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

GP Fundholding

Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the total health budget per patient is held by GP fundholders, total fundholders and community fundholders.      [14994]

Mr. Malone [holding answer 20 March 1995]: For 1994 95 general practitioner fundholders hold nearly 9 per cent. of the total national health service budget per patient. In addition to the four pilots which began in 1994 95, total purchasing pilots will begin on 1 April 1995. The 52 sites involved in the total purchasing pilot schemes will manage all hospital and community health services resources on behalf of their patients. Community fundholders will not hold a budget until 1996 97.


Column 568

EDUCATION

Administrative Staff

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the total number of administrative staff employed by each local education authority in England for each year since 1988.      [16368]

Mr. Robin Squire: I will write to the hon. Member.

Funding

Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if she intends to meet a cross-party delegation from Devon concerning education funding during March;      [16397]

(2) when she expects to respond to the two recent letters from the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport, requesting an urgent meeting about education cuts in Devon;      [16398]

(3) if she will list the names of Conservative hon. Members from Devon and Cornwall who have written to her regarding education cuts in those counties; and when she last met Conservative hon. Members from Devon and Cornwall to discuss education budgets.      [16399]

Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend met cross-party delegations of Members from Devon to discuss education funding on 22 March and from Cornwall on 9 February 1995.

We are aware of one outstanding letter from the hon. Member to which my right hon. Friend will reply shortly.

My right hon. Friend and I have received letters on education funding in Devon and Cornwall from the following Conservative Members:

Mr. Rupert Allason, Mrs. Angela Browning, Mr. Sebastian Coe, Sir Peter Emery, Dame Janet Fookes, Sir John Hannam, Mr. Robert Hicks, Mr. Patrick Nichols, Mrs. Emma Nicholson, Mr. Anthony Steen and Mr. Gary Streeter.

Computer Pornography

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when the departmental advice for schools and parents on computer pornography will be published; how many leaflets will be available; and how they will be distributed.      [16800]

Mr. Forth: An information sheet for schools and a leaflet of advice for parents were published by the National Council for Educational Technology in February. These are available to all schools and libraries which request them. It is for individual schools to decide how many copies of the parents' leaflet to distribute.

School Meals

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the amount of money spent by local education authorities in England on providing school meals other than those who are entitled to free school meals in the last year for which figures are available.      [16792]

Mr. Robin Squire: This information is not collected centrally in the form requested. Gross expenditure by local education authorities in England on their school catering services in 1993 94, covering both free and paid meals, is estimated to have been £685.2 million.


Column 569

$$$$

Ethnic Minorities

Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she is taking to review the arrangements for the ethnic monitoring of school pupils.      [17067]

Mr. Robin Squire: We have today issued a consultation paper to local education authorities and other interested organisations, reviewing the current arrangements for the ethnic monitoring of school pupils and inviting comments on proposals to change those arrangements. Subject to the outcome of the consultation exercise we propose to replace the ethnic monitoring survey of school pupils in England with a combination of approaches:

a. to incorporate two additional questions within the schools' census in respect of (i) the number of minority ethnic pupils; and (ii) the number of pupils for whom English is a second language; b. to obtain information about the progress of minority ethnic pupils in individual schools, by means of information gathered by Ofsted as part of its regular inspection process; and

c. to undertake ad hoc surveys and research, as necessary, to look in greater depth at particular issues.

These are designed to check that all minority ethnic groups have equal opportunities to achieve their full potential. Copies of the consultation paper are available in the Library.

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she is taking to increase the number of people from ethnic minorities continuing to higher education.      [16388]

Mr. Boswell: The Government are concerned to promote wider participation in HE, including participation of people from ethnic minorities. The proportion of people from ethnic minorities continuing to HE is higher than the proportion of people from ethnic minorities in the population at large.

Departmental Report

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of producing and circulating the last Departmental annual report; what was the circulation list; how many copies were produced; how many copies were sold and at what price.      [16653]

Mr. Forth: The Department's annual report published on 7 March 1995 cost £22,500 to prepare for printing.

It was published by HMSO and sold through their bookshops at £11.65 per copy. Printing costs were borne by HMSO, who look to recover these and other administrative costs from sales. The print run was £2,900 and 2345 copies have been sold up to 24 March.

The Department obtained copies to distribute to its own staff at middle management level and above, to institutions of further and higher education and local education authorities and to various educational organisations. The cost of buying copies from HMSO and circulating these was some £10,000.

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost of producing and circulating the departmental annual report for each of the last 10 years in real terms.      [16654]

Mr. Forth: Departmental reports were published for the first time in 1991. The five reports have been published as Command Papers by HMSO.


Column 570

The costs to the Department of preparing the reports for printing are as given. Printing costs were borne by HMSO, which looks to recover these and administrative costs from sales revenue.


                              |At 1993-94                   

               |Cash terms    |prices                       

Financial year |£             |£                            

------------------------------------------------------------

1990-91        |4,900         |5,581                        

1991-92        |4,800         |5,144                        

1992-93        |5,200         |5,359                        

1993-94        |15,200        |15,200                       

1994-95        |22,500        |22,059                       

Costs of buying in and circulating copies of the report were £10, 000 in 1994 95. Costs are not held separately for the four previous years.

Special Educational Needs

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will ring fence finance for special needs pupils.      [16593]

Mr. Forth: No. Detailed spending decisions are for individual schools and local authorities to make in the light of their own particular circumstances and from within the resources available to them.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will implement the new code to protect special needs pupils.      [16595]

Mr. Forth: The code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs came into effect on 1 September 1994.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will incorporate special training for teachers in recognition of special needs pupils suffering from dyslexia.      [16590]

Mr. Forth: It is a requirement that initial teacher training courses should equip teachers with the skills to identify special educational needs.

The Government make money available to local education authorities to contribute, under the grant for education support and training--GEST-- programme, towards the cost of in-service training for teachers of children with special educational needs. This enables local education authorities to bid for funds to provide for particular disability areas, such as dyslexia, as appropriate to local needs.

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will institute screening for pre-school children to establish the need for special care.      [16596]

Mr. Forth: Care facilities for the under fives are a matter for local social services departments, central responsibility for which rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. There are already a variety of routes by which special educational needs can be recognised, including the family doctor, the child health services and playgroup or nursery provision.

Mature Students

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations she has had from vice-chancellors and principals regarding the effect of changes in Benefit Agency regulations on mature students taking higher education courses.      [16382]


Column 571

Mr. Boswell: Social security regulations are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has, however, received a number of representations concerning students and benefits.

Press Officers

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many press officers there are in her Department currently; and what figure was in 1979.      [16558]

Mr. Boswell: There are currently 11 press officers in the Department. Information for 1979 is not available.

Discretionary Awards

Mr. Bill Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the annual expenditure on discretionary awards for students attending further education college courses for each of the metropolitan authorities, for each financial year since 1990 91.      [16225]

Mr. Boswell: The information requested for the academic years 1990 91, 1991 92 and 1992 93, the latest year for which data are available, is shown in the table. Financial year information is not available.


Expenditure on further education discretionary awards in the                   

metropolitan authorities in 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93                       

£'000                                                                          

                               |1990-91    |1991-92    |1992-93                

LEA name                       |Expenditure|Expenditure|Expenditure            

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

West Midlands                                                                  

Birmingham                     |923        |1,299      |955                    

Coventry                       |527        |558        |514                    

Dudley                         |456        |393        |443                    

Sandwell                       |497        |871        |261                    

Solihull                       |129        |201        |230                    

Walsall                        |1,451      |1,894      |1,879                  

Wolverhampton                  |75         |35         |23                     

                                                                               

Merseyside                                                                     

Knowsley                       |1,047      |1,369      |1,404                  

Liverpool                      |5,697      |4,433      |2,329                  

St. Helens                     |531        |678        |665                    

Sefton                         |278        |224        |206                    

Wirral<2>                      |1,453      |1,653      |1,731                  

                                                                               

Greater Manchester                                                             

Bolton                         |536        |821        |739                    

Bury                           |510        |642        |609                    

Manchester                     |-          |1,836      |2,105                  

Oldham                         |544        |459        |631                    

Rochdale                       |490        |741        |903                    

Salford                        |423        |314        |149                    

Stockport                      |504        |691        |806                    

Tameside                       |239        |352        |403                    

Trafford<1>                    |n/a        |302        |340                    

Wigan                          |418        |499        |514                    

                                                                               

South Yorkshire                                                                

Barnsley<2>                    |1,270      |789        |1,064                  

Doncaster                      |698        |685        |685                    

Rotherham                      |669        |904        |727                    

Sheffield                      |2,026      |1,931      |630                    

                                                                               

West Yorkshire                                                                 

Bradford                       |1,612      |1,778      |2,190                  

Calderdale                     |250        |310        |281                    

Kirklees                       |1,403      |2,196      |3,123                  

Leeds                          |2,117      |2,743      |2,858                  

Wakefield                      |1,018      |1,048      |992                    

                                                                               

Tyne and Wear                                                                  

Gateshead                      |454        |376        |235                    

Newcastle upon Tyne            |609        |770        |430                    

North Tyneside                 |706        |1,024      |738                    

South Tyneside                 |326        |450        |353                    

Sunderland<1>                  |n/a        |933        |-                      

                                                                               

Total metropolitan authorities |29,883     |<3>37,333  |32,144                 

Notes:                                                                         

-Between £0 and £500.                                                          

<1> Discretionary awards data not provided in 1990-91.                         

<2> Incomplete returns were received from Wirral and Barnsley LEAs in 1991-92. 

<3> The 1991-92 total has been grossed to compensate for partial returners.    

Source:                                                                        

F503G                                                                          


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