To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each health authority will spend in 2006-07 on (a) continuing professional development and (b) professional enhancement; and what their planned spending is in each of these areas over the next three years. (95669)

Continuing professional development needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans, regulatory bodies’ requirements and the needs of the service.

Access to training is affected by a number of local factors and it would not be practical for the centre to be prescriptive on these.