HC Deb 05 November 2002 vol 392 c280W
Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS facilities have workplace nurseries attached. [77996]

Mr. Hutton

A national survey of national health service child care provision, undertaken early in 2001, found that 114 NHS trusts provided nursery facilities for their staff. Since April 2001, a further 117 schemes for new or extensions to existing nurseries have had capital funding agreed as part of the NHS child care strategy. As a criterion of funding these nurseries should, wherever possible, provide places for the use of all health care workers, including those at other NHS organisations.

Further capital funding will be made available in 2003–04 to meet the NHS plan target of 150 new nursery schemes by March 2004. All new build hospitals must also include a nursery in their plans.

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