§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy with regard to generic social work within local authority social service departments.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is for local authorities to decide which approaches to social work best meet the needs of the people they serve. While a generic approach to social work was generally adopted following the Seebohm report of 1968, we recognise that social workers who develop specialist skills equally have an important role to play.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis is made by his Department of the ability of individual local authorities to undertake their statutory social work functions.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe Department's social services inspectorate keeps the Department informed about the provision of personal social services by individual local authorities.