[holding answer 23 October 2006]: Information on the number of health visitors and nursery nurses in each primary care trust in 2001 and 2005 has been placed in the Library. Although there have been decreases more recently in health visitors, the overall number of nurses working in primary and community care settings has risen by 28,504 to 102,364 between 1997 and 2005, an increase of nearly 37 per cent.