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Policing Objectives
Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his objectives are for policing for 2001-02. [140630]
Mr. Straw: The Police Act 1996 allows me to set objectives, or Ministerial Priorities, for policing. The objectives for 2001-02 will be:
- to reduce local problems of crime and disorder in partnership with local authorities, other local agencies and the public; and
- to increase trust and confidence in policing among minority ethnic communities.
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Hi-tech Crime Unit
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 November 2000, Official Report, column 150W, concerning the Hi-tech Crime Unit, what assessment he has made of the level of resources allocated by each constabulary to its local police computer crime unit; and how many constabularies (a) have established such a unit, (b) plan to establish such a unit and (c) have no plans for such a unit. [140221]
Mr. Charles Clarke: I understand that, of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, 40 have at least one person (not always full-time) working in the field of forensic computing. Of the three which do not, I understand that one may be about to allocate resources to this field. I understand that in total there are 75 police personnel engaged in these duties in England and Wales. As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 13 November 2000, Official Report, column 531W, we are making £25 million available to the police over the next three years to enhance their capability to investigate crimes where new technology is used.
Sexual Offences
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) rapes and (b) serious sexual assaults were recorded in each police authority area in England and Wales in each of the last 20 years. [140485]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of rapes and serious sexual assaults recorded in each police authority area in each of the last 20 years is given in tables 1 and 2, available in the Library.
Since 1981, these offences have more than doubled. Much of this rise, however, is thought to be attributable to both an increase in reporting by the public and changes in police practice.
Drugs
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of (a) cocaine and (b) heroin have been made in the UK in each of the last 10 years. [140371]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The most recent figures on United Kingdom drug seizures go up to the year 1998. Seizures of cocaine and heroin from 1988 to 1998 can be found in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 3/0 entitled "Drug Seizures and Offender Statistics, United Kingdom, 1998". Copies of this publication can be found in the Library.
To assess long-term trends, figures on the number of seizures made over the last 10 years need to be viewed together with figures on the quantities of drugs seized.
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HEALTH
MRSA
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the prevalence of and frequency of infection by MRSA in NHS hospitals. [135014]
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Methicillin Resistant Staphycoccocus Aureus were reported in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000 in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Devon; and if he will make a statement. [135141]
Mr. Denham: The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) compiles aggregate data on the numbers of incidents of MRSA which are voluntarily submitted by trusts for specialist microbiological tests. The PHLS also compiles data on blood stream and other serious infections caused by Staphylococcus Aureus in hospitals and the community, reported by microbiology laboratories. Figures for England are given in the tables. From April 2001 all acute trusts will produce data on the prevalence of hospital-acquired infection, including MRSA, to provide a more complete picture of the situation. This information will be published in 2002-03. Matters relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are for their respective devolved Administrations.
Notes:
1. For the first half of 1997 data have been amalgamated to the approximate boundaries of the new Regional Office areas. This allows for comparison with subsequent years.
2. Data for 2000 is for January-June only.
3. An incident is three or more patients infected or colonised by the same strain of MRSA in the same month from the same hospital.
4. The criteria for submission of isolates of MRSA (and other isolates of staphylococcus aureus) to the PHLS for specialist tests have been revised twice since 1996 (in January 1998 and in January 2000). These revised criteria have led to a fall in the number of incidents of MRSA that were reported to the PHLS.
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| 1999 | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| South-west region | ||
| Total report | 1,010 | 644 |
| Sensitive to methicillin | 591 | 314 |
| Percentage | 59 | 49 |
| Resistant to methicillin | 294 | 211 |
| Percentage | 29 | 33 |
| Susceptibility not reported | 125 | 119 |
| Percentage | 12 | 18 |
| England | ||
| Total report | 9,373 | 5,697 |
| Sensitive to methicillin | 4,934 | 2,661 |
| Percentage | 53 | 47 |
| Resistant to methicillin | 2,804 | 1,919 |
| Percentage | 30 | 34 |
| Susceptibility not reported | 1,635 | 1,117 |
| Percentage | 17 | 20 |
Consultants' Contracts
Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish his response to the Health Select Committee's report HC 586 on Consultants' Contracts. [140654]
Mr. Denham: The Government's response to the Health Select Committee's Third Report on Consultants' Contracts is published today as Cm 4930 and copies have been placed in the Library.
BMA Guidelines
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he last met representatives of the British Medical Association to discuss its guidelines for the withholding and withdrawal of treatment; [134765]
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- (2) if he will urge the British Medical Association to make alterations to its guidelines on the withholding and withdrawal of treatment. [134766]
Yvette Cooper: Ministers have not met representatives of the British Medical Association to discuss their guidelines on withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging medical treatment nor are there plans to do so. The aims of the document are to identify the range of clinical, ethical and legal factors which need to be considered in making decisions on withdrawing and withholding medical treatment and on potential procedures, including consulting the healthcare team and seeking a second opinion where appropriate.
We have no plans to take any action on these guidelines nor urge the British Medical Association to amend them. A revised second edition was published in October 2000.
BCG Vaccine
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made since 31 July to identify additional suppliers of the TB vaccine BCG. [138062]
Yvette Cooper: Discussions are ongoing with possible suppliers to the United Kingdom market. The Department hopes to make an announcement shortly on the future supply of BCG vaccine to the UK.
Flu Vaccinations
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of extending free influenza inoculations to (a) all over 60s and (b) all over 60s in poor areas; and if he will make a statement. [139028]
Yvette Cooper: This year, influenza immunisation policy has been extended to include everyone aged 65 and over without an underlying risk condition. At the same time the Department has set a target of 60 per cent. uptake of flu vaccine this year and a wide range of measures have been put in place both nationally and locally to increase influenza vaccine uptake from their traditionally low levels. Additional funding of up to £60 million has also been put in place for general practitioners and health authorities to achieve these targets.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts in each NHS region are offering flu jabs to nursing and medical staff; how many social service departments are offering flu jabs to home care, care home and social work staff; and if the jabs are funded by (a) winter pressures funding and (b) another specific budget. [140298]
Yvette Cooper: Winter planning guidance was issued to the National Health Service and social services departments by the Department on 23 May 2000. This guidance stated that all NHS employers should offer, and social services employers should consider offering, flu immunisation to all staff involved in the delivery of care and/or support to patients. All health employers have now offered, or have mechanisms in place to offer, immunisation to their staff. Around three-quarters of
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social care employers intend to offer immunisation. No specific funding arrangement has been made for staff immunisation.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many persons aged over 65 years in South Gloucestershire have received influenza vaccinations this year; [138568]
- (2) what is the average waiting time for persons aged over 65 years to receive an influenza vaccination in South Gloucestershire. [138569]
Yvette Cooper: Information from Avon Health Authority is that over 62 per cent. of persons over 65 years in South Gloucestershire have received flu vaccinations.
It is not possible to determine the average waiting times as call forward procedures vary between individual general practitioner practices.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the optimal time by which patients should have received an influenza vaccine for it to be effective in the winter 2000-01. [138570]
Yvette Cooper: Influenza activity is closely monitored through the Public Health Laboratory Service and Royal College of General Practitioners. Baseline activity of influenza does not usually rise significantly before the middle of December. Antibody levels may take up to 10-14 days to rise and therefore the ideal time for immunisation is October and November, although it is common for some general practitioners to run flu immunisation clinics in early December.
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