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Planning
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral statement of 7 March 2000, Official Report, column 865, on planning, what number and density of dwellings was used in the calculations underlying his conclusion that his new housing targets would use no more land than the SERPLAN proposals. [117796]
Mr. Raynsford:
Evidence submitted by SERPLAN at the public examination into the draft Regional Planning Guidance for the South-East indicated that for sites in progress or not started the average density of housing development was 26 dwellings per hectare (dph). Planning Policy Guidance note 3 (Housing) makes clear that local authorities should avoid planning for developments of less than 30 dph and encourage developments between 30 and 50 dph. It is also our policy to maximise the contribution that conversions can make to the dwelling stock. If local authorities in the South-East follow the guidance in PPG3, it will be possible for them to achieve the average annual rate of provision of 43,000 dwellings per annum without taking more land than implied by the SERPLAN total of 36,000 dwellings per annum.
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Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what arrangements are in place for inspection of farm-scale trials and other trials of genetically-modified crops to ensure that licence conditions are observed. [118302]
Mr. Meacher:
We carry out each year a thorough programme of inspections of trials to ensure that crops are being grown in accordance with the consents granted by the Secretary of State. Inspectors are fully trained and qualified in a relevant discipline. If the inspections show that a consent is not being followed, appropriate enforcement action is taken. This can include a formal instruction to remedy, revocation of consent, a prohibition notice or in some cases prosecution. Inspectors pay particular attention to new or inexperienced consent holders and those who have had previous non- compliance problems.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how often each site in which GM crops are grown will be inspected. [118301]
Mr. Meacher:
We have recently reviewed the inspection and enforcement regime and under new arrangements we will be able to provide a larger team of inspectors than has been available in the past. This will ensure we can improve further our capacity to ensure compliance with release consents and underpin confidence in the regulatory process.
Our inspectors will visit every GMO release site during the growing season and supply inspection reports for each in a format ready for the Department's website. In addition, inspectors will conduct up to 20 audits of consent holders to ensure that they have effective lines of supervision of staff running the GM field trials and that GM material is disposed of safely in line with the consent.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how he will ensure that the specified separation distances for GM crops are observed (a) during the current planting season and (b) in future years. [118303]
Mr. Meacher:
Inspectors are asked to examine separation distances when visiting trial sites and take any necessary remedial action if this aspect of the release consent has not been properly followed. Our comprehensive inspection programme for this year and future years will ensure that requirements for separation distances are rigorously enforced.
Mr. Lilley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what timetable has been agreed for the establishment of service agreements for financing referrals for specialist neurology treatments; [116464]
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Mr. Denham:
Specialist treatments offered by National Health Service trusts to populations within their host regions are in most cases already incorporated in service agreements. Regional directors have been asked to ensure that service agreements are reached during 2000-01 for any pan regional specialist treatments, including some specialist neurology treatments, that are not yet covered by a service agreement.
Any specialist treatment not yet included in a service agreement will be covered by the out of area treatments mechanism.
Laura Moffatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what form the recent survey for assessing the views of people working in the NHS took. [116948]
Mr. Denham:
All National Health Service employers are required under the NHS human resources framework, "Working Together", to have conducted an annual staff attitude survey by April 2000.
The NHS Executive has issued guidance for NHS employers on good practice in designing, administering and acting upon the results of employee opinion surveys. It describes core areas which all NHS employers should cover in their surveys, but it does not prescribe a particular survey which all NHS employers must use.
There are no current plans to develop a core employee opinion survey for use by all NHS employers.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what extra resources have been allocated to support the meeting of the new target of referring patients suspected of suffering from prostate cancer to a specialist within two weeks. [116984]
Yvette Cooper:
By the end of 2000, patients in England with a suspected cancer will be able to see a specialist within two weeks of their general practitioner deciding they need to be seen urgently and requesting an appointment. To support implementation of this standard we have made £10 million available for each of the financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01. We are also making an additional £30 million available for each of the next two financial years to further support the two week standard and the modernisation of cancer services.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase Government funding for research into prostate cancer to the level of Government funding for research into breast cancer. [99893]
Yvette Cooper:
Government funding for research is provided through a number of routes.
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The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which the Government support research on the causes and treatment of disease. The MRC receives most of its income via grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Department of Health funds research to support policy development in health and social care, and to support effective practice in the NHS. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the MRC and charities that takes place in the NHS.
The latest figures available for annual Government expenditure (Department of Health/NHS, MRC and other Government Departments--principally devolved Health Departments) on breast cancer and prostate cancer are £9.33 million and £1.55 million respectively. These figures underestimate the total Government research and development expenditure in these areas, as detailed estimates of NHS support funding are not collected routinely.
Since 1997, the Government have committed an extra £800,000 to new research projects on prostate cancer, through the Medical Research Council and through the Department of Health. The Department has actively sought to support such work in prostate cancer, and has not rejected any high quality proposals for work in this area.
The Department recently announced £1 million additional new funding for this financial year for urgent research studies into prostate cancer as a mark of its concern over this disease.
Following the seminar last year at No. 10, a "Cancer Research Funders' Forum" has been established to help improve the co-ordination of cancer research in the United Kingdom. It is being run by the MRC and includes DH representatives and the major cancer research charities. At the Department's request, the Forum considered the issue of prostate cancer at its first meeting on 10 January. They agreed to set up an expert group on prostate cancer, which will identify gaps in current research and suggest ways of filling them. The expert group met for the first time on 25 February, and expects to report within months.
We have appointed a National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards, who will spearhead our concerted drive on cancer. He will work in partnership with doctors, nurses, general practitioners, other health professionals and the voluntary sector to improve prevention and modernise cancer services to help ensure equitable access to high quality cancer care. This will include a close interest in the development and progression of research.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations were taken into account by his Department in deciding the scope and quantity of the information prepared and distributed by local health trusts to parents prior to the administration to children of vaccinations to combat meningitis. [116978]
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Yvette Cooper:
Before public information materials on the new meningococcal Group C conjugate vaccine and the immunisation programme were produced, the Heath Education Authority (HEA) conducted research into what the public and health professionals felt the materials should contain. Focus groups, representing a cross section of the community, were convened and asked what information they wanted and who should get the information. They stated that the leaflet should give information on what meningitis is, what the new vaccine protects against, safety and efficacy, contraindications, the programme and its implementation and the need to continue to be aware and alert to the signs and symptoms of meningitis. The leaflet for parents covers these issues and received strong support from the focus groups; plans for its widespread distribution were also endorsed.
(2) what funding mechanisms are available to cover referrals of patients for specialist treatments not as yet included in service agreements. [116463]
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