§ Lord Hanningfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
How any additional:
- (a) doctors;
- (b) nurses;
- (c) general practitioners;
- (d) dentists;
- (e) police; and
- (f) teachers
will be required as a result of the communities plan and the expansion of settlements as identified in the document. [HL923]
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy for sustainable communities as set out in the communities plan, and more recently in our five year strategy Homes for All, is to concentrate additional housing growth in identified growth areas. We are working with other government departments, including the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, to ensure that growth of communities is accompanied by the necessary infrastructure. Provision has been made across government to ensure that communities undergoing rapid population growth receive adequate funding. This includes £20 million per annum from 2004–05 to 2005–06 for primary care trusts in the growth areas and a new safety valve mechanism for education funding.