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17. Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the arrangements for the care of pre-school age children. [7960]
Mr. Boateng: My hon. Friends the Under-Secretaries of State for Education and Employment, the Members for Birmingham, Yardley (Ms. Morris) and for Newport, East (Mr. Howarth), met me on 30 June to discuss our plans to create a fully integrated early years service for all pre-school children. I shall ensure that we protect the care needs of very young children and in particular children in need as we develop our plans, but I believe that integrating services as we propose will greatly benefit young children.
18. Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what inequalities in Health and life expectancy exist between different regions in England. [7961]
Ms Jowell:
Substantial inequalities in health and life expectancy exist between different regions in England. For example, in the early 1990s, there were regional variations in life expectancy at birth of more than three years for males and two and a half years for females. In 1992 East Anglia had the longest life expectation at 75.4 years for men and 80.3 years for women, while North Western had the worst at 72.3 years for men and
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77.6 years for women. Regional variations in certain measures of health are even greater. On the basis of the 1991 census question on limiting long standing illness, it has been estimated that the expected number of years of life in good health varies between the best and the worst region by six and a half years for men and five years for women.
36. Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the relative (a) health and (b) life expectancy of different ethnic groups in England. [7979]
Ms Jowell:
Information on health in certain ethnic groups is available from various surveys and the 1991 census included specific questions on health and ethnicity. A collation of key information, "Ethnicity and Health: a guide for the NHS" was published in 1993 by the Department of Health and a new edition is in preparation.
The fourth national survey of ethnic minorities, which was co-ordinated by the Policy Studies Institute, was the largest study of ethnic minorities ever carried out in Britain. An initial report which included a chapter on health was published earlier this year. More detailed reports on the physical and mental health of ethnic minorities are due out shortly.
Although there are currently no data readily available on life expectancy in different ethnic groups the Acheson inquiry will be looking at inequalities in health, including those related to ethnicity, since this is a topic of considerable importance. Furthermore, detailed studies of mortality by country of birth have been performed which indicate marked differences from the national average in specific sub groups. For example, there are high rates of stroke mortality in people under 65 years among those born on the Indian subcontinent and in the Caribbean and African Commonwealth.
19. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his attendance at the Devolution, Scotland, Wales and Regions Cabinet Committee, with particular reference to discussions relating to abortion. [7962]
Ms Jowell:
The Government's forthcoming White Paper will set out our proposals on all aspects of devolution, including abortion.
20. Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria he will be using to decide whom to appoint to the boards of NHS trusts. [7963]
Mr. Milburn:
The Department has recently issued revised guidelines on the qualities we will be looking for in non-executive directors of NHS trusts. The guidelines are designed to make boards much more representative of the communities they serve; to encourage more NHS users and carers to become members of boards; and to ensure that all candidates are personally committed to the national health service.
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21. Ms Blears:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to address the problems of want, idleness, squalor, ignorance and disease. [7964]
Ms Jowell:
I addressed Beveridge's five giants in my speech on our new health strategy on 7 July, a copy of which is available in the Library. Our new health strategy will be wider and focus on determinants in health. Want will be tackled through the minimum wage. Idleness through the Welfare to work programme. Squalor through improved housing through the phased release of council house sale receipts; and through policies to improve the environment. Ignorance through education, by encouraging schools to promote health and well-being. Disease through rescuing the NHS banning tobacco advertising, establishing the food standards agency and a £1,000,000 programme of research into the effects of air pollutants commonly found in the home. This will complement research on outdoor pollutants which is already under way.
28. Mr. Prosser:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure that the Government's public health strategy for England will address the issues of social exclusion. [7971]
Ms Jowell:
As announced in my speech on 7 July, improving the health of our nation and tackling the legacy of inequality are matters not just for the Department of Health but are jobs to be confronted across Government. We aim to tackle poverty and inequality through our commitment to helping people move from welfare to work, to ending poverty pay by introducing a national minimum wage, and to improve housing conditions by the phased release of local authority capital receipts.
Of all the important aspects of public health, none exacts a heavier toll in terms of disease and death than smoking. And smoking is a clear proxy for inequalities. There are more poor smokers, and as a result, poor people suffer disproportionately from preventable illness and premature death. That is why the Government have given an undertaking to ban tobacco advertising and promotion, and why we are determined to tackle smoking with the seriousness it deserves. On 14 July, we held an international anti-smoking summit to galvanise concerted action across society, and to learn from the experience of experts from around the world on how best to proceed. We will use the knowledge gained at the summit to inform the development of a White Paper which will be published later this year. The White Paper will set out in full our plans for measures to curb smoking, including our proposals for legislation to ban tobacco advertising.
22. Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many retired people he expects to relinquish private health cover as a consequence of the loss of tax relief. [7965]
30. Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the abolition of tax relief on private medical insurance for the over-60s on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [7973]
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Mr. Milburn:
Any impact on the national health service will be dwarfed by the additional resources of £1.2 billion recently announced by the Chancellor.
25. Mr. Ian Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities have achieved the previous Government's targets for reduction in management costs; and what assessment he has made of how soon health authorities will implement the £120 million of further cuts required in management and office costs. [7968]
Mr. Milburn:
Final accounts figures for health authority costs and trust management costs in 1996-97 are expected to be available towards the end of the year.
On 22 May, we announced that national health service management costs would be reduced by £100 million in 1997-98.
27. Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he intends to publish a White paper on the future of the NHS; [7970]
29. Mr. Skinner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects the review of the NHS to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [7972]
Mr. Milburn:
We intend to publish a White Paper on the national health service this autumn which will set out the Government's plans to replace the NHS internal market.
26. Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy towards the undertakings provided by the former Minister for Health on 20 March 1996 regarding services at Solihull hospital, with particular reference to 24 hour accident and emergency facilities; and if he will make a statement. [7969]
Mr. Milburn:
The future of Solihull hospital within the Birmingham Heartlands NHS trust is secure. We will look to the trust to continue to provide high quality health services for the people of Solihull.
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