§ Ms KellyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on the provision of health visitors in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate how many children were seen in this period. [122558]
§ Yvette CooperThe amount of expenditure on the provision of health visitors is not separable from amounts spent in other areas of the community health services. Estimates of the number of children aged under 16 seen by health visitors are contained in the table:
Number of children aged under 16 seen by health visitors Thousand Year Number 1996–97 2,411 1997–98 2,358 1998–99 2,309 Source:
Department of Health return KC55 Statistics Division 2B
Over 90 per cent. of children seen by health visitors are aged 4 years or under.