§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many children with severe learning difficulties received help from a speech therapist in each year from 1997 to 2001; [78369]
(2) how much money was allocated from health to education services to provide speech therapy to children with (a) moderate learning difficulties and (b) severe learning difficulties in each year from 1997 to 2001; and if he will make a statement. [78371]
§ Jacqui SmithInformation on the number of children with severe learning difficulties who receive help from speech and language therapists (SLTs) is not collected centrally.
It is very important that children with speech and language difficulties access appropriate intervention as soon as a problem is identified. The majority of SLTs are employed by the National Health Service and deliver services relating to children's health need. They are often based in the community and may work in health, education or local authority settings.
No money was transferred from the Department of Health to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) specifically to provide speech therapy to children with learning difficulties. For the two years between 1999 and 2001, DfES made grant support available under the standards fund to a number of local education authorities for speech and language pilots.
This support was extended to all English local education authorities in 2001–02 to help them enhance speech and language therapy services for children in conjunction with the NHS and the voluntary sector. It is one of a number of sub heads on which LEAs can spend their special educational needs allocation.