§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources are being made available to local authorities to assist with training and staffing for the additional duties contained in the Children Act 1989 and the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe will take into account local authorities' additional responsibilities arising from these legislative changes in determining their grant entitlement for future years. We will also be making available grants for training in respect of the Children Act totalling £4 million over two years. This is in addition to the other training grants we make for staff working with the elderly, with children, and managerial personnel which will total nearly £17 million in 1990–91, all of which will have a role to play in preparing staff for new responsibilities. We have also announced our intention to introduce a further grant for local authorities from 1991–92 to assist them to develop services for the mentally ill.