§ Dr. MarekTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to increase the availability of speech therapy provision for children in(a) Clwyd and (b) the other counties in the Principality; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GristThe level of provision of speech therapy for children is a matter for the district health authorities to decide in the light of competing priorities. The number of speech therapists in Clwyd has almost doubled from 12 to 23 between 1979 and 1987 and the numbers in Wales increased similarly during the same period from 64 to 130. In addition, the Department has recently agreed to fund a further two speech therapist posts in Clwyd under the mental health development scheme.