To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of secondary schools which employ a school nurse; and what estimate he has made of the number of school nurse posts to be established in secondary schools in the next 12 months. (292116)

There are about 3,000 secondary schools. The 2008 NHS Workforce Census shows there were 3,643 qualified nurses in school nursing areas (2,634 full time equivalent), an increase of 63 per cent. since 2004. Of these, there were 1,447 (headcount) school nurses with a post registration school nurse qualification (1,062 full time equivalent), an increase of 69 per cent. since 2004.

It is for individual primary care trusts to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations over the next 12 months.

The overall number of professionals within community services for children and families has increased. School nurses are able to access more resources than was traditionally the case.