§ Martin LintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the help available for autistic children and adults and their families in Wandsworth. [22944]
§ Jacqui SmithThe learning disability White Paper "Valuing People—A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21 Century" issued in March 2001 sets out the Government's proposals for maximising opportunities for all disabled children and supporting young people's transition into adult life. It focuses in particular on the needs of learning disabled children and their families, but does so within a framework which applies equally to all disabled children, including those on the autistic spectrum.
Children with autism will benefit from a range of initiatives we are taking to improve services for disabled children. As part of the Quality Protects programme we set new national objectives for children's services which for the first time set out clear outcomes for children, and in some instances give precise targets which local authorities are expected to achieve. These were updated in "Valuing People".
Disabled children have been made a priority area in Quality Protects. The last spending review made substantial additional funding available for the Children's Services grant which now totals £180 million in 2001–02, £220 million in 2002–03 and £290 million in 2003–04. Of this, £60 million has been earmarked for services for disabled children and their families—£15 million in 2001–02 and 2002–03 and £30 million in 2003–04.
We have also announced that services for disabled children will be a key area to be addressed by the national service framework for children. We want to make autism an exemplar under the children's national service framework, so that when the framework is concluded people will be able to see how services should be provided.
The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001 which came into effect from 1 January 2002 provides strengthened and more focused advice on identifying, assessing and providing for children's special educational needs. The Department for Education and Skills will also be publishing good practice guidance on aspects of provision for children with autism, mainly aimed at schools and local education authorities.
953WThe White Paper, "Valuing People", published in March 2001, covers all adults with autism who also have a learning disability. White Paper implementation guidance issued in August last year states that
Adults with Asperger's Syndrome or higher functioning autism are not precluded from using learning disability services, where appropriate, and may require an assessment of their social functioning and communication skills in order to establish their level of need.By bringing together health, social care and educational agencies, "Valuing People" gives us the scope to improve opportunities and services for people across the autistic spectrum.
NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): ambulance paramedics per 1,000 population by organisation in England as at 30 September each year 1998 1999 2000 1wte 2hc 1wte 2hc 1wte 2hc All England 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.14 Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.09 0.09 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.13 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 0.19 0.19 0.16 0.16 0.17 0.17 Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.16 Two Shires—Northampton and Bucks Ambulance NHS Trust 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.14 0.15 0.13 0.13 0.15 0.15 Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.15 0.15 Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.17 0.18 0.15 0.17 0.15 0.16 Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 0.14 0.14 0.16 0.16 0.18 0.18 Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.11 0.11 South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.10 Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust 0.30 0.31 3— 3— 3— 3— Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.19 0.19 0.18 0.19 0.18 0.18 Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.18 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.11 0.11 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.14 Lincolnshire Ambulance and Health Transport Service NHS Trust 0.18 0.18 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.61 0.62 Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.06 0.06 0.14 0.14 0.16 0.16 West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.05 0.06 0.05 0.06 0.11 0.11 Westcountry Ambulance Services NHS Trust and South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 0.20 0.20 0.19 0.19 0.20 0.20 Gloucestershire Ambulance Services NHS Trust 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.17 West Midlands Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.15 Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.10 0.10 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.09 Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.22 0.22 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 1 wte = whole-time equivalents 2 hc = headcount 3 = not available Note:
Figures are rounded to two decimal places
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
Office for National Statistics (ONS)