asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to increase the number of occupational therapists for work in social services departments.

The new year intake of students to schools of occupational therapy in England and Wales has increased from 465 in 1976–77 to 551 for 1979–80, an increase of 18·5 per cent. This will be reflected in future years in increased output of qualified occupational therapists to take up posts in the NHS and in local authority social service departments.