§ Mr. Rileyasked the President of the Board of Education what was the total amount expended in the year ended the 31st March, 1936, by the Board of Education and by local authorities, respectively, on clinical treatment for minor ailments, including dental treatment and visual defects, treatment in hospitals, sanatoria, special schools, etc., for major ailments and convalescence; and the total number of children in each of the above categories?
Mr. StanleyIt is not possible to separate the expenditure of local education authorities on the medical treatment of school children from their expenditure on medical inspection. The net expenditure on the medical inspection and treatment of public elementary school children during the year ended on 31st March, 1936, was £2,188,462, of which 50 per cent, was met by grants from the Board of Education. Similarly it is not possible to separate the expenditure of local education authorities on the provision of treatment in special schools, including hospital schools, from the expenditure on education in such schools. The net expenditure of local education authorities on the education and treatment of children in special schools during the year ended on 31st March, 1936, was £2,110,693, of which 50 per cent, was met by grants from the Board of Education, who also paid grants amounting to £38,034 directly to certain special schools provided by voluntary bodies. These figures, however, include expenditure on schools for blind, deaf, and mentally defective children where the expenditure on medical treatment is comparatively small. Expenditure on sanatorium schools for children suffering from tuberculosis is not included, as such expenditure is incurred by the tuberculosis authority, and not by the local education authority, and grant in respect of it is not paid by the Board of Education.
Figures showing the number of defects of various types treated by local education authorities under their school medical service during the calendar year 1935 will be found in Tables VII, VIII, IX and 636W XI of Appendix C to the Annual Report for 1935 of the board's chief medical officer. During the year ended on 31st March, 1936, the average attendance of children sent to special schools by local education authorities was 38,939. In schools for physically defective children as distinguished from schools for blind, deaf, mentally defective, or epileptic children, the average attendance of children sent by local education authorities was 19,769.