§ Mr. SalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Minister of State's recent letter to North Thames and South Thames health authorities regarding school nurses and health visitors. [58737]
§ Mr. MilburnThe Department recently conducted a national survey in line with its agenda in relation to school nurses and health visitors which showed no uniform planned reduction in community nursing staff.
As a result of this survey my right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health wrote on 19 October to the regional chairmen of those regions proposing reductions (which included North and South Thames) asking that they discuss with the relevant health authorities the reasons for, and the nature of, the reductions. Regional chairmen in North and South Thames in conjunction with the regional directors of nursing have contacted the relevant health authority chief executives to discuss the issues raised by my right hon. Friend's letter.