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Fraud

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have been convicted of benefit fraud in the UK during the last 12 months. [122075]

Mr. Rooker: The number of people convicted of benefit fraud in the 12 months from April 1999 to March 2000 was 9,752. In the same period the Benefits Agency issued 5,594 cautions and 4,702 administrative penalties (Total 20,048).

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the scale of benefit fraud attributable to disability benefits and on action being taken to combat it. [121686]

Mr. Rooker [holding answer 15 May 2000]: Latest figures show that 6.5 per cent. of claims to Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) and 1.5 per cent. of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) cases showed fraud.

Within the two main disability benefits--Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance--securing the gateway to the benefits and dealing with some claimants' failure to report changed circumstances are crucial to cutting the level of overpayment due to fraud and error. We are seeking better sources of evidence to substantiate claims. We are also ensuring that claimants know more about the purpose of these benefits and understand their responsibilities for reporting change. We shall achieve this by making direct contact with the claimant at the start of the claim and by checking at regular intervals to ensure that entitlement remains correct.

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Pensions

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of pensioners who will receive basic State Pension increases (a) above and (b) below 70p a week when the next uprating of pensions takes effect. [121504]

Mr. Rooker: For a pensioner to receive an increase of greater than/less than 70p in 2001-02, based on the projected rate of inflation of September 2000, they would have to be receiving a basic State Pension of greater than/less than approximately £21 per week in 2000-01. This is 31 per cent. of the full Category A rate of basic pension.

The information is in the table.

Estimates for 2001-02Thousand

	Above 70p	Below 70p	Total
Great Britain	10,020	130	10,150
Overseas (non-frozen)	240	140	380
Total	10,250	270	10,520

Notes:

1. Estimates based on an assumed uprating in April 2001 of 3.4 per cent.

2. Figures rounded to the nearest 10,000 and may not sum as a result.

3. Estimates have been provided by the Government Actuary Department.

4. Figures do not include an estimated 480,000 frozen rate overseas cases who will not receive an increase in their basic State Pension.

HEALTH

AIDS-HIV

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much life expectancy is reduced from first diagnosis on average for those suffering from AIDS and HIV. [120673]

Yvette Cooper: The information is not available in the form requested.

For those whose deaths have been reported, the average age at HIV diagnosis and AIDS diagnosis, and the average interval between diagnosis and death (ie survival) are shown in the table.

Years

	Average age at diagnosis	Average interval between diagnosis and death
For men
HIV	35.6	4.1
AIDS	38.3	1.4
For women
HIV	29.9	3.4
AIDS	32.1	1.2

Note:

Any patient whose date of death is not known has been excluded.

Source:

United Kingdom data to the end of March 2000 from the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Laboratory Service.

The HIV/AIDS figures in the table do not include the contribution to survival by those diagnosed but still living and thus represent the worst-case scenario. Factors affecting survival after an HIV or AIDS diagnosis include: (i) the level of immune depletion at the time of diagnosis; (ii) the age of the patient and (iii) the availability of treatments effective in delaying disease progression.

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People living with HIV and AIDS are currently benefiting from combination drug treatments that became available in the mid-1990s. These treatments are now prolonging life and have been associated with a reduction in the number of HIV-related deaths to about one-third of their previous level.

Folic Acid

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies he will consult concerning the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy in relation to folic acid and the prevention of disease; and what issues the consultation will cover. [120986]

Yvette Cooper: This will be a public consultation. The consultation document will be placed in the Library, available on the Department of Health and Food Standards Agency websites (www.doh.gov.uk and www.foodstandards.gov.uk respectively), and circulated to a wide range of public health, consumer and industry interests. The consultation will cover the full range of issues relating to the fortification of flour with folic acid.

Osteoporosis

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision has been made available on the National Health Service for the percutaneous vertebroplasty operation to treat osteoporosis; and if he will make a statement. [121083]

Yvette Cooper: The percutaneous vertebroplasty operation to treat osteoporosis is an expensive and relatively new procedure, the clinical effectiveness of which remains unproven. All new technologies such as this need to be fully evaluated before they can be generally recommended.

In-vitro Fertilisation

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the survey of IVF provision throughout the country undertaken by his Department. [121482]

Yvette Cooper: We hope to publish the results of the survey of in-vitro fertilisation provision shortly.

Skin Cancer

Ms Kingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions her Department is taking to educate the public regarding the dangers of skin cancer. [121521]

Yvette Cooper: We are taking a number of measures to educate the public regarding the dangers of skin cancer:

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We are producing this summer a range of new posters and a fact sheet on sun protection which is available from Health Promotion England Customer Services, Marston Book Service, P.O. Box 269, Abingdon, Oxford OX14 4YN.

We will continue the Sun Know How website currently at: http://www.hea.org.uk/campaigns/sun-know-how/index.html while sun awareness information for schoolchildren is available on the Wired for Health website: www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk

This summer, we are continuing to fund the Meteorological Office to provide information about the Solar UV Index in forecasts tailored specifically for television and radio weather presenters.

Ultraviolet radiation can damage the skin and lead to skin cancer. Sunlight is the main source of ultraviolet radiation. The Chief Medical Officer's advice is:

Babies of all skin colours should be kept out of direct sunlight.

White skinned people (especially those whose skin burns easily) need to take great care when out in the sun. Sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer--cover up, use a sunscreen of factor 15 or more and avoid the midday sun during the summer months.

Brown skinned people have a much lower risk of sunburn in the UK but still need to take care if the sun is very strong. Cover up, seek shade and use a high factor sunscreen in hot climates.

Black skinned people are unlikely to burn and have a very low risk of skin cancer, but too much sun can cause wrinkles and premature aging for people of all skin colours.

Everybody can suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration, so if the sun is hot drink plenty of water and moisturise dry skin.

Look out for moles that change shape or colour; become bigger, itchy or inflamed; that weep or bleed. These may be symptoms of skin cancer and should be checked.

Prostate-related Illnesses

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to continue and develop further research into prostate-related illnesses. [121471]

Yvette Cooper: Government funding for research is provided through a number of routes. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which we 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 funds research to support policy development in health and social care, and to support effective practice in the National Health Service. The Department also provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the MRC and charities that takes place in the NHS.

Since 1997 we have committed over £800,000 to new research projects on prostate cancer, through the Medical Research Council and through the Department of Health. The Department recently announced £1 million additional new funding 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 Departmental representatives and the major cancer research charities. At the Department's request, the Forum considered the issue of prostate cancer at its first meeting

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on 10 January. It 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 recently 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.

In addition the Department is spending approximately £550,000 on research into benign prostatic hyperplasia.

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