§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the national service framework for children; and how many children were involved in the consultation process. [122462]
§ Dr. LadymanThe first module of the children's national service framework (NSF), "The Standard for Hospital Services", was published on 10 April 2003, in conjunction with an Emerging Findings consultation document setting out the direction of travel for the whole NSF. The main NSF report is due to be published in 2004.
In line with the principles laid out in the Department of Health action plan "Listening, Hearing and Responding", the views and opinions of a number of children and young people have been sought as part of the NSF development process, by the external working groups working with various voluntary organisations. These consultations have included children and young people in a range of settings and from varied ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, and include children and young people in rural/urban areas, groups of children in hospitals and in schools, looked-after children and disabled children. Organisations such as the National 530W Children's Bureau, Contact A Family and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children have involved hundreds through various consultation processes, which included questionnaires and group discussions, though we have not been able to calculate the exact number.