(2) what guidance her Department provides to primary care trusts on head lice control; and how frequently such guidance is updated.
I have been asked to reply.
Information on the incidence of head lice infestation is not collected centrally. Our policy, which is shared by the Department for Education and Skills, is to encourage a whole school approach. This entails encouraging parents to check their children and other family members for head lice as need arises and arranging treatment where necessary, with advice and support from the local primary health care team.
The Department has produced a leaflet containing guidance on the prevention and treatment of head lice. The leaflet, which has recently been reprinted, is widely available from locations that include schools and general practitioners surgeries and copies are available in the Library and at:
www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/63/47/04116347.pdf