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Dept of Health

Answer

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that mainstream programmes and targeted initiatives have (a) a focus on disabled children and young people and (b) targets and indicators monitored as part of Opportunities for All. [96311] Jacqui Smith: All relevant mainstream health and social care programmes give priority to disabled children. In 1999 the Government published national objectives for children's social services, as part of the Quality Protects programme to improve children's services. This included specific objectives around disabled children and young people. To help local authorities achieve these objectives, we have earmarked funding for disabled children of £60 million over three years from the children's services special grant. As part of the development of the children's national service framework, which will set national standards for health and social care, we have prioritised services for disabled children and young people. An external working group has been established to focus on services for disabled children and make recommendations to Ministers on how they could be improved. The three cross Government programmes for children: Sure Start; the Children's Fund; and Connexions all give priority to supporting disabled children and young people. The indicators in "Opportunity for all" are used to monitor progress in relation to the Government's strategy to tackle poverty and social exclusion. They have been selected to capture the multidimensional nature of poverty and to utilise the best available information. The indicators meet certain criteria, one of which is to be outcome focused rather than concentrating of inputs and process. All of the indicators are linked to departmental public service agreement targets, which are reviewed as part of spending review cycles.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

96311; 399 c824-5W;399 c822-3W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Disability Children Disadvantaged Health services Poverty Standards Young people Social services

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk