§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice his Department has given to health authorities about their contribution to health education in schools since 1979.
§ Mr. John Patten"Care in Action", the Department's handbook on policies and priorities for the personal social services in England published in 1981, advised health authorities, as part of their local strategy of health promotion and preventive medicine, to support health education programmes in schools on key topics including smoking, alcohol use, mental health, the care of elderly people, nutrition, exercise and preparation for parenthood. This continues to be our policy.