§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will put in place a strategy for tackling head lice similar to the one in place in Scotland. [143031]
§ Dr. LadymanNo. Primary care trusts are best placed to develop strategies for dealing with head louse infestation within their area. This will take into account local circumstances.
Our policy, which is shared by the Department for Education and Skills, is to encourage a "whole school approach" to the detection and treatment of head lice. This entails encouraging parents to check their children and other family members for head lice as need arises, and arranging treatment—either through a combing regime or insecticides—where necessary with such advice and support from the local primary health care team (general practitioner, health visitor, school nurse or local pharmacist) as they may require. If this exercise is successfully undertaken at the same time by all parents of children within a school, then the spread of head lice will be arrested.