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Children's social services spending grew more quickly than expenditure on adult care from 2005-6 to 2006-7, according to government figures released today.

The Information Centre for Health and Social Care report found public sector expenditure on children's care grew by 4% in real terms to £5.1bn in 2006-7. Spending on the main adult client groups grew more slowly: by 1% for older people, 2% for physically disabled adults and 3% for those with learning disabilities.

Spending on people with mental health problems even fell in real terms, mainly as a result of reduced expenditure on Supporting People services.

The trend is the opposite to the previous year's, when adult social care spending grew more quickly.

Overall, £20.2bn was spent on social care in 2006-7 by public bodies, 25% on children's services and 43% on older people's services. This constitutes a 70% increase in overall spending in real terms since 1996-7.

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Information Centre for Health and Social Care