§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will investigate the provision of speech therapy in each health board area.
§ Mr. StewartEducation authorities have a statutory responsibility to ensure speech therapy services are available to children with a recorded special educational need. An additional £3 million has been made available to local authorities over the two years 1993–95 to enable them to purchase speech therapy services from health service providers who are the principal employers for speech therapists.
Speech therapy for non-recorded children and adults are the responsibility of health boards whose function it is, in the light of the assessed needs of their population, to determine the volume. pattern and quality of services required and through contracts with providers ensure that these standards are met.
347WMy right hon. Friend has, at present, no specific plans to investigate the provision of speech therapy services.