SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH DIABETES

That this House congratulates the 225 children who came to Westminster on 18 November 2008 to mark World Diabetes Day and to inform hon. Members about their experiences of living with diabetes; welcomes the Diabetes UK report Making All Children Matter which calls for the 20,000 children in the UK who have Type 1 diabetes to receive appropriate support in managing their condition at school; is concerned that the UK has the lowest percentage of children attaining good diabetes control in Europe, with 83 per cent. failing to achieve recommended blood glucose levels; is further concerned that many children are still not getting the support they need in school to administer their medication and are still having to rely on parents visiting the school because the school cannot or will not provide the necessary assistance; and calls on the Government to ensure that local authorities, primary care trusts and schools take immediate steps to make this assistance available so that all children with diabetes are supported to play a full part in school life.