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Art Therapy

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received recently regarding art therapy services in London; and if he will make a statement on the matters raised by the hon. Member for Woolwich in his letter of 5 March regarding Lewisham and Guys NHS mental health trust; [19514]

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Mr. Burns [holding answer 10 March 1997]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has received a number of representations concerning art therapy in London. The decision to discontinue some of the art therapy services provided by Lewisham and Guy's mental health trust was made by Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham health authority, in consultation with the trust. The decision followed a review of patient needs and priorities in the south-east London area.

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance is given by his Department regarding the notice given by service providers for terminating work with long-term clients, with special reference to art therapy; and if he will make a statement; [20334]

Mr. Burns: We have not issued central guidance on arrangements for terminating art therapy services. The funding, priority setting and provision of art therapy services are matters for the national health services to determine in the light of local circumstances. In recognition of the part art therapists play, we have agreed that they should be registered in accordance with the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960.

Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the additional funds which he has provided for mental health services in London can be spent on art therapy services. [20335]

Mr. Burns: There is no reason in principle for excluding art therapy from the range of services to be funded from the mental health challenge fund or from target funds, provided that their provision relates to the

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needs of people with severe mental illness, and that bids have been soundly based within the criteria which govern the allocation process.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for the City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) of 29 January, Official Report, columns 271-72, concerning NHS PFI projects, what information he has received regarding (a) the date that contracts, including financial agreements, will be signed and (b) the likely start date and time scale for construction work at each of the sites named. [20071]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 13 March, Official Report, column 341. Financial agreement on a private finance initiative contract is expected three or four months after the commercial contract has been signed. Shortly after financial agreement, work can begin on site.

Negative Equity Buy-out

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and which, health authorities and trusts operated negative equity buy-out or similar relocation schemes prior to October 1994; and how much was paid by each health service body under such schemes in each year. [20117]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 13 March 1996, Official Report, column 621.

Residential Care for the Elderly (London)

Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each London borough the number of residential places for the elderly in (a) 1987 and (b) 1997 in (i) local authority and (ii) other homes by category. [20014]

Mr. Burns: Information for 1987 and 1996, the latest available year, is given in the table.

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Places in residential care homes for elderly people--London, as at 31 March 1987 and 1996

Local authority Voluntary sector Private sector All sectors
Borough19871996198719961987199619871996
All London boroughs15,6777,2516,2846,2845,5297,44327,49020,978
Inner London6,6393,1522,0972,2108741,2649,6106,626
Camden55320619822571170822601
Greenwich56033300109178669511
Hackney495239137148075632462
Hammersmith4612741061131616583403
Islington62631958126320716445
Kensington3001672491585182600407
Lambeth6984722862331722791,156984
Lewisham76024818662373721,015686
Southwark6822552489300930348
Tower Hamlets40723612517800532414
Wandsworth568152636789186921,3901,033
Westminster529251368100565332
Outer London9,0384,0994,1874,0744,6556,17917,88014,352
Barking3594330323855397520
Barnet5443641,0039415345602,0811,865
Bexley43712952514546487426
Brent43713212914072197638469
Bromley475416465323305751,4511,148
Croydon5791832392906984751,516948
Ealing5953383832663022531,280857
Enfield5501252815354594932734
Haringey457109343293140146940548
Harrow412108134110396518942736
Havering4902830151303531793965
Hillingdon505348887557188650611
Hounslow432168136140582573390
Kingston upon Thames25311560370327629442
Merton262168165175165178592521
Newham6162531091252416749394
Redbridge481215151137231372863724
Richmond upon Thames35323943428885202872729
Sutton338147176113299428813688
Waltham Forest463201120207436682637

Source:

DH annual return RAC5.


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Hepatitis B Vaccinations

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many vaccinations against hepatitis B were administered in each of the last three years; [20023]

Mr. Horam: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Liver Cancer

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was (a) the number of deaths from liver cancer and (b) the cost to the NHS of treating liver cancer, in each year since 1994. [20027]

Mr. Horam: Information on the number of deaths from liver cancer in 1994--latest available figures--is contained in "Mortality statistics: cause, England and Wales, 1993 (revised) and 1994" (Series DH2 no. 21), published by the Office for National Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library.

Information on the costs to the NHS of treating liver cancer is not collected centrally.

Health Spending (East Sussex)

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS spending in East Sussex is on people over retirement age. [20017]

Mr. Horam: The information requested is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact John Lewis, chairman of East Sussex Brighton and Hove health authority for details.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the current structure and membership of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. [20026]

Mr. Horam: Current membership of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is as follows;

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Two new members to advise on nursing matters and paediatric epidemiology are currently being appointed and will replace outgoing members Mrs. D. Roden and Professor C. Peckham.


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