§ Mr. BaronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 6 July 2004,Official Report , column 617W, on podiatry, what the whole time equivalent is of the number of chiropodists and podiatrists employed by the NHS in each year since 1997. [188610]
§ Mr. HuttonThe information requested is shown in the table.
Qualified chiropodists and podiatrists employed in the national health service in England as at 30 September each year Whole-time equivalents 1997 2,730 1998 2,750 1999 2,770 2000 2,847 2001 2,894 2002 2,916 2003 3,027 Source: Department of Health non-medical workforce census. Between 1997 and 2003, the number of whole-time equivalents chiropodists and podiatrists employed in the NHS increased by 297, or 11 per cent.