§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of schoolchildren per speech therapist in the area covered by the parliamentary constituency of the Isle of Ely; and what are the comparable figures for (a) East Anglia and (b) England and Wales.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg[pursuant to his reply, 28 June 1982, c. 233.]: Detailed and recent information of this nature is not held centrally. Such figures as are available indicate that in 1980, in East Anglia, there were 4,322 schoolchildren per speech therapist. The corresponding figure for England and Wales was 4,839.
The hon. Member may wish to bear in mind that speech therapists deal with other sections of the community, and that by no means all schoolchildren require their services.