§ 14. Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provisions, and at what colleges, exist in 1127 Wales for the training of speech therapists; and whether he is satisfied with the situation.
§ Mr. MulleyA course is available in Wales at the Llandaff College of Technology. There has been an encouraging increase in training facilities in England, Wales and Scotland since 1972, broadly consistent with the expansion of the service which the Quirk Committee envisaged for the 20-year period from that date.
§ Mr. WigleyIs the Minister aware that in a constituency such as mine, which is 87 per cent. Welsh speaking, a large number of children aged 2, 3 and 4 years may be monoglot Welsh, yet the area health authority in my area could not recruit a single applicant who was competent to look after Welsh speaking children in need of speech therapy? Will the Minister consider the possibility of bringing pressure to bear on advancing courses to teach speech therapists, with a particular relevance to the Welsh language?
§ Mr. MulleyI am quite certain that the numbers of such people available in all parts of the country are inadequate to the needs. This is a problem, but it takes time for these people to be trained. However, I am advised that not only has the number of people taking the course in Wales increased, but that Welsh speaking students are being recruited. I hope that they will be available to meet the type of situation to which the hon. Gentleman has referred.