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Systolic Blood Pressure
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the mean systolic blood pressure in the adult population for each year since 1979, for each nation of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [36050]
Mr. Horam: The table shows the mean systolic blood pressure for the adult population of England in each of the years 1991 to 1994 inclusive. The fall in blood pressure between 1991 and 1994 is statistically significant. Data for England before 1991 are not available on a comparable basis. Questions relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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| mm Hg(16) | |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 139 |
| 1992 | 138 |
| 1993 | 137 |
| 1994 | 136 |
Note:
(16) Millimetres of mercury.
Source:
Health Survey for England, 1994.
Sex Offenders
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of employees of his Department who have committed sexual offences against children, from among those listed in "Sentencing and Supervision of Sex Offenders" while serving, and for which they were subsequently prosecuted, since 1972. [36521]
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department keeps a list of suspected sex offenders. [36528]
Mr. Bowis: No. The Department's consultancy service index contains details of some ex-child care workers who have resigned, been dismissed, or moved to less sensitive posts in circumstances which suggest that the welfare or safety of children has been, or may be, put at risk.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of employees or volunteers in voluntary organisations who have committed sexual offences against children, while serving and for which they were subsequently prosecuted since 1972. [36520]
Mr. Bowis: This information is not collected.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in respect of those lists of convicted sex offenders held by his Department which may be consulted (a) the number of names on each list currently, (b) those who have access to each list, (c) what the lists are used for, (d) how long it takes on average to check a reference with such lists, (e) under what circumstances people are placed on the lists and (f) how the procedure described in (e) above is conveyed to local authorities. [36527]
Mr. Bowis: The Department operates a consultancy service, which enables local authorities and private and voluntary child care organisations in England and Wales to check on the suitability of those they propose to employ to work with children.
Procedures for making referrals to the consultancy index are set out in circulars to local authorities and child care organisations issued jointly by my Department, the Home Department, the Department for Education and Employment and the Welsh Office.
Employers are encouraged to notify names to the consultancy service index in circumstances where a member of their staff has put the welfare of children at risk. There is no requirement for a conviction before referring a name to the index.
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The index also contains the names of child care workers, or former child care workers, notified to the Department by the police following conviction for certain offences. In addition, it incorporates the Department for Education and Employment's list 99, a register of staff barred for working in educational establishments.
Checks against the index are normally processed within 24 hours of receipt of an inquiry. If a positive identification is made, the prospective employer is advised to seek a reference from the organisation which referred the name to the index.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of statements taken in each individual local authority inquiry into abuse of children looked after or in care since 1972. [36519]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he issues in respect of the procedure for joint investigations between local authority social services departments and police forces for investigating allegations regarding abuse against children receiving a service from social services departments. [36526]
Mr. Bowis:
Guidelines for joint investigations of allegations of abuse against children are contained in "Working Together under the Children Act 1989", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number and names of local authority inquiries into the sexual abuse of children looked after or in care since 1972; and which of these reports were made public. [36518]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the procedure for area child protection committees dealing with internal investigations into abuse of children in receipt of services from local authority, voluntary and private organisations. [36529]
Mr. Bowis:
It is for each individual area child protection committee to devise its own procedures for investigating abuse of children. The procedures should be derived from and consistent with the guidance given in "Working Together under the Children Act 1989", copies of which are available in the Library. Internal investigations should include an independent element.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the waiting times for (a) non-urgent operations and (b) urgent operations for hospitals in the Cheshire health authority for each of the last five years; and what is the national average figure. [36458]
Mr. Horam:
Such information as is available on waiting times at hospitals in Cheshire is contained in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics, England" copies of which are available in the Library. On 31 March 1996, hospitals in Cheshire reported no one waiting more than
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one year for admission. Nationally, the average time waited by people still on a waiting list is 3.7 months compared with 7.6 months five years ago.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of young people who have previously been looked after or in care at any time after 1984 whose subsequent deaths have been recorded in coroner's reports under each of the verdicts in the Coroners Rule 1984, (SI 1984 No. 552). [36523]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of opticians accepting NHS patients in (a) Crewe and Nantwich and (b) Cheshire for each of the last five years. [36495]
Mr. Malone:
Below are the number of ophthalmic opticians, OOs, and ophthalmic medical practitioners, OMPs, under contract with Cheshire family health services authority to carry out national health service sight tests as at 31 December each year. Separate figures for Crewe and Nantwich are not held centrally.
| Year | OOs | OMPs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 153 | 17 | 170 |
| 1992 | 171 | 13 | 184 |
| 1993 | 157 | 16 | 173 |
| 1994 | 174 | 15 | 189 |
| 1995 | 178 | 20 | 198 |
Preventive Medicine
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the NHS funding formula is revised to give greater weighting to community health and preventive medicine programmes; and if he will make a statement. [36388]
Mr. Horam: A team of independent researchers from the universities of Plymouth and Kent have been commissioned to develop a needs weighting for community health services.
Blood Donations
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the figures for donations of blood in the area covered by the Lancaster centre (a) in each of the two years before its closure and (b) in the period since its closure. [36058]
Mr. Horam: Donations of blood in the area covered by the Lancaster centre in the periods covered by the question have been:
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter | 13,198 | 15,401 | 16,044 |
| 2nd quarter | 13,928 | 14,964 | 14,004 |
| 3rd quarter | 14,327 | 16,270 | -- |
| 4th quarter | 15,111 | 15,155 | -- |
| Total | 56,564 | 61,790 | -- |
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