§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied that all schoolchildren who might require special education are being screened, and that district general hospitals are providing multi-disciplinary comprehensive assessment facilities as was envisaged in Circular 2/75 (DES).
§ Dr. OwenThe question of identifying children who might require special education is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of Stae for Education and Science. The Consultative Document on Priorities for Health and Personal Social Services in England, which was published last month and copies of which have been placed in the318W Library, draws attention (paragraph 9.6) to the development of comprehensive assessment and follow-up services for handicapped children as a priority need; at present about 50 per cent. of districts provide the service.