§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his plans for the further promotion of health education; and if he will make a statement on the financial implications.
§ Mr. Harry EwingThe importance of health education as a preventive health measure was recognised in the Government's 1976 policy memorandum "The Health Service in Scotland: The Way Ahead", which recommended that increased levels of resources should be devoted to health education by health boards and by the Scottish Health Education Unit. The White Paper "Prevention and Health" published in December 1977 reiterated the intention of the Government to give priority to health education and to encourage the development of health education services.
Since 1976, the number of health boards which have established health education departments has increased from 7 to 12; the number of health education officers employed by boards has increased from 22 to 40.
Expenditure on health education by the Scottish Health Education Unit and by health boards totalled £1,787,000 in 1978–79 compared with £999,000 in 1975–76—both figures at 1978–79 prices—an increase of almost 80 per cent. in real terms.
My Departments are considering the implications of the recent report by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools on Health Education in Primary, Secondary and Special Schools.
The Government will continue to emphasise the importance of health education as a preventive measure and to support the priority being given to it.