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HEALTH
Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the element of SSA for each local authority in England was for the placement of children in residential care in the last five years for which figures are available. [135104]
Mr. Hutton: The standard spending assessment for children's personal social services does not include a specific element relating to the placement of children in residential care. The SSA reflects differences between authorities in the potential need for all children's social services, based upon the socio-economic and health characteristics of each authority. It also reflects unavoidable variations in the costs of supplying these services.
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The total SSA for children's personal social services in the current financial year is £1,997.7 million. Allocations for each local authority are given in the tables.
| Summary table | Children's SSA |
|---|---|
| Principal Metropolitan Cities | 199.597 |
| Other Metropolitan Districts | 326.132 |
| Metropolitan sub total | 525.729 |
| Inner London | 309.502 |
| Outer London | 263.918 |
| London sub total | 573.420 |
| Shire Counties | 570.033 |
| Shire Unitary Authorities | 328.518 |
| Shire sub total | 898.551 |
| England total | 1,997.700 |
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School Nurses
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many school nurses were employed in each health authority in England and Wales in (a) 1979, (b) 1987, (c) 1997, (d) 1998 and (e) 1999; and if he will make a statement; [137869]
- (2) what proposals he has for adopting a benchmark for the provision of school nurses within a health authority in terms of the number of pupils per school nurse; [137867]
(3) if he has received a copy of the report 'School Nursing within the Public Health Agenda' jointly published by the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association, the Queen's Nursing Institute and the Royal College of Nursing; and if he will make a statement; [137866]
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(4) what proposals he has to increase the total number of school nurses across England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [137868]
Mr. Denham: Data on the numbers of school nurses employed by health authority in 1987 are shown in the table. This information is not available for the other years. Information on numbers of school nurses after 1995 is not available due to a change in occupation codes used.
The school years offer an invaluable opportunity for the promotion of healthy living which sets the pattern for lifestyle and health status in adulthood. School nurses have an important role to play in meeting the needs of school-aged children and young people. The documents "Saving Lives", "Supporting Families" and "Making a Difference" identify and support a comprehensive programme of action for developing the public health role of school nursing. We look forward to receiving a copy of the report "School Nursing within the Public Health Agenda".
It is for health authorities and GP purchasers, with advice from professional colleagues, to determine benchmarks for the numbers, nature and levels of nursing staff and the training required to deliver cost effective school health services. The National Health Service Plan sets out increases in the numbers of nurses undertaking nursing training. Between now and 2004 there will be 5,500 extra nurses and midwives being trained each year than today and around 45,000 nurses and midwives will have come out of training. This means an increased supply of qualified nurses from which school nurses can be recruited and trained.
(5) Five or less and greater than zero
Notes:
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
2 Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts
3 Figures exclude learners and agency staff
Source:
Department of Health Non-medical Workforce Census.
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