§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many language units (speech therapy) there are 693W in Wales, by county; if he is satisfied with the level of speech therapy provision in each of the Welsh counties; what is his estimate of the numbers of children in each of the Welsh counties with speech or language disorders; how many speech therapists work (a) full-time and (b) part-time in the counties of Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsInformation about numbers of langage units is not held centrally. The level of speech therapy provision is an operational matter for individual district health authorities to determine in the light of their priorities and the resources available to them. I am greatly encouraged by the increase in the number of full-time equivalent speech therapists employed in the NHS over recent years, which has doubled since 1979.
Information on numbers of children with speech or language disorders is available only in relation to those pupils for whome a statement of special educational needs has been issued by local education authorities. The latest information is taken from LEA returns in January 1987 and is as follows:
Speech disorder Language disorder Clwyd 117 206 Dyfed 33 103 Gwent 4 3 Gwynedd 9 17 Mid Glamorgan 131 156 Powys 48 62 South Glamorgan 43 74 West Glamorgan 197 202 The number of full-time and part-time speech therapists employed by district health authorities in Wales as at 30 September 1987 is given in the following table:
Full-time Part-time Clwyd 19 7 East Dyfed 13 1 Pembrokeshire 6 — Gwent 13 4 Gwynedd 9 2 Mid Glamorgan 17 — Powys 3 3 South Glamorgan 25 5 West Glamorgan 14 1