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Caesarian Births
26. Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the "Changing Childbirth" Government document on the role of midwives and the level of Caesarian births. [81834]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has made no formal assessment. However, information on elective and emergency caesarean section deliveries by Health Authority and individual hospitals is set out for the first time in the statistical bulletin "NHS Maternity Statistics, England: 1989/90 to 1994-95". This information has strengthened the local audit process. A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library. On the role of midwives, we know from Changing Childbirth pilot project reports that there has been a significant change in midwives' working patterns in both hospitals and the community to ensure that women receive continuity of care in their preferred environment whenever possible.
NHS Dentistry
27. Mr. Beard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of, and access to, national health service dentistry. [81836]
Mr. Denham: The Government are aware of the existence of problems of access to National Health dental services in some parts of the country, particularly in some rural areas, which we inherited from the previous administration, and which we have taken positive steps to address through the Investing in Dentistry and Personal Dental Services initiatives.
NHS Staff
28. Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the health of NHS staff. [81837]
Mr. Denham: The National Health Service Executive has produced a wide range of guidance and examples of good practice covering every aspect of improving the health of all staff working in the NHS. Virtually all NHS staff have access to an occupational health service.
NHS Superannuation
29. Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the total cost to the health service of the proposed changes in NHS superannuation. [81839]
Mr. Denham: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) on 26 April 1999, Official Report, column 28.
Healthy Living Centres
30. Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the establishment of Healthy Living Centres. [81840]
Ms Jowell:
The Healthy Living Centre initiative was launched on 29 January 1999. The initiative is being administered by the New Opportunities Fund from £300 million of Lottery money. The application process is underway. The New Opportunities Fund hopes to announce the first successful applicants later this year.
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31. Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department intends to publish clinical guidelines on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. [81841]
32. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish clinical guidelines on osteoporosis prevention and treatment. [81842]
Ms Jowell:
I refer my hon. Friends to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) on 27 April 1999, Official Report, column 101.
33. Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of new information systems for primary care groups in the years (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02. [81843]
Mr. Denham:
£20 million has been allocated to health authorities in 1999-2000 from the modernisation fund to support the initial information technology and informatics needs of primary care groups (PCGs).
No new information systems have been provided centrally to PCGs. Information management and technology guidance issued to PCGs in March 1999 established that the short term information needs of the PCGs would require them to make the best use of existing information systems and analytical skills.
34. Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the long-term implications for the health service of the use of the private finance initiative for major capital projects. [81844]
Mr. Denham:
An assessment of the long term costs of providing facilities funded by the private finance initiative is made in the Full Business Case. Approval is only given if the scheme demonstrates value for money to the tax payer.
35. Ms Moran:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take to ensure more effective liaison between health services and other agencies to tackle child abuse. [81845]
Mr. Hutton:
The Government are producing new guidance on inter-agency working to protect children, and have made children's welfare a national priority for both the National Health Service and social services. New partnership provisions have been included in the Health Bill to make it easier for the NHS and local government to work together, and the Government have issued a discussion document "Partnership in Action" to consider how to improve joint working in general.
36. Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to introduce universal free eye and dental checks. [81846]
4 May 1999 : Column: 350
Mr. Denham:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow).
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many times ambulance staff were involved in conveying people to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983 in 1998; [79680]
Mr. Hutton:
No central records are held that would enable determination of how many times ambulance services convey patients to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. Nor is there any requirement for ambulance services to keep local records of this sort.
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of patients treated by the psychiatric sector of the NHS for the last five years; and if he will give a breakdown by ethnicity. [80661]
Mr. Hutton:
Information on ethnicity available centrally is not currently of sufficient quality to publish reliable national figures. We are working with the National Health Service to improve the quality of the data and will publish the results when reliable estimates are available.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce a chief officer rank for the Ambulance Service; and if he will make a statement. [80260]
Mr. Hutton:
Ambulance service ranks, including the title of chief officer, are matters for individual ambulance National Health Service trusts. There are no plans to alter this.
Ms Beverley Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to tackle the problems of (a) sexual harassment and (b) women's safety in public places. [81711]
Ms Jowell:
The Government take the issue of sexual harassment and women's safety in public places very seriously.
In employment law it is well established that sexual harassment constitutes a form of detriment under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. In addition an Equal Opportunities Commission Code of Practice includes recommendations on how employers can prevent sexual harassment. The Department for Education and Employment has also published leaflets for employers and employees on how to deal with the issue.
In criminal law, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 makes it an offence for a person to pursue a course
4 May 1999 : Column: 351
of conduct that they know, or ought to have known, causes another harassment. It carries a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment. A person found guilty of this offence can be made the subject of a restraining order which will prohibit further harassment.
Under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 (inserted by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994) it is an offence intentionally to behave in a way which is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. In addition, section 5 of the 1986 Act makes it an offence to behave in a way which is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, even when no intent is involved.
On women's safety in public places, the booklet "Your Practical Guide to Crime Prevention" published in 1998 and available from police crime prevention officers, includes advice to women on minimising the risk of assault.
(2) what costs were incurred by the Ambulance Service in assisting in the conveying of people to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983 in 1998. [79681]
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