| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Children's Rights
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that legislation affecting the rights of the child is available in a language and format suitable for children. [100906]
Mr. Hutton: Information about children's rights is increasingly available in a language and format suitable for children.
The Department has published summaries of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, some of which are available in minority languages, and leaflets on the Children Act 1989. Major child care voluntary organisations have also produced valuable materials for use in schools and other settings, some of which have been funded by central government.
Prozac
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possible adverse reactions to Prozac (Fluoixtine), including reported cases of depression and suicide. [99940]
Ms Stuart: As with all medicines the safety of Prozac is continually monitored by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the independent expert advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The possible association of suicidal thoughts and hostile behaviour with Prozac was reviewed by the MCA and CSM in 1990. The available evidence did not suggest an increased risk with Prozac.
It is well known that suicidal ideation is associated with depression. Features of depression, including suicidal behaviour, can worsen after introduction of any anti- depressant prior to its beneficial effects being apparent and therefore reports of suicide attempts associated with Prozac are not unexpected. The Summary of Product Characteristics for Prozac warns that the possibility of a suicide attempt may persist until significant remission of depression occurs.
Cystic Fibrosis
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received opposed to the extension of free prescriptions to adults with cystic fibrosis. [100111]
Ms Stuart:
No such extension has been proposed. We have therefore received no representations opposed to it.
2 Dec 1999 : Column: 304W
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the development of a core employee opinion survey for use by NHS trusts; and if he will make a statement. [100938]
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.
Guidance for NHS employers on good practice in designing, administering and acting upon the results of employee opinion surveys will be issued shortly. It will describe core areas which all NHS employers should cover in their surveys.
There are no current plans to develop a core employee opinion survey for use by all NHS trusts.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the question tabled on 8 October by the hon. Member for Thurrock concerning the cottage hospital at Epsom was not answered. [100935]
Mr. Denham:
I apologise to my hon. Friend that he did not receive a reply to his earlier question. This was due to an administrative error.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services are provided at the cottage hospital in the vicinity of Horton Country Park, Epsom. [100940]
Mr. Denham:
The New Epsom and Ewell Cottage Hospital which is part of Epsom and St. Helier National Health Service Trust is a 20-bedded general practitioner hospital. It takes patients with any diagnosis i.e. medical, post-surgery and the terminally ill but not the mentally ill.
It has an outpatient department covering a range of services from general medicine, general surgery, dermatology, rheumatology, ear, nose and throat, audiology and plastic surgery. GPs do minor operation sessions there.
The hospital is also a base for nurse-led clinics for stoma, breast and urology. It is also a base for a district nursing service, health visitors for the elderly and a continence advisory service. There is also a rehabilitation team, comprising occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, chiropodists and the hospital at home team.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for additional funding for winter pressures for 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [100936]
Ms Stuart:
There are no plans to provide additional money for winter pressures in 1999-2000. The 5.1 per cent. over and above inflation increase in National Health Service expenditure awarded by the Government is allowing health authorities to plan more effectively for the health and social needs of their populations, including the provision of services throughout the winter.
2 Dec 1999 : Column: 305W
15. Mr. Tredinnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the impact of the current level of Government funding for Leicestershire on education in the county. [99355]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Leicestershire will be getting an extra £12.8 million for 2000-01. It is very important that this extra funding is delivered to education by the county. They did not do so last year--I hope they will do it this time.
17. Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of (a) girls and (b) boys who take A-levels obtain at least one science A-level. [99359]
Mr. Wicks:
Of A-level candidates in 1998, 48 per cent. of boys and 32 per cent. of girls passed at least one science subject. However, more girls than boys taking a science A-level gained a pass.
18. Mrs. Gilroy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the New Deal for Lone Parents. [99360]
Ms Hodge:
The programme is working well. Since October 1998, 93,690 lone parents have voluntarily agreed to have at least an initial interview with a personal adviser and 89 per cent. of those have agreed to participate further. 23,000 have found jobs.
19. Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the destination of those young people in Sussex who have completed the New Deal programme without securing long-term employment. [99361]
Ms Jowell:
We know that over 1,100 young people left New Deal in Sussex for sustained work. Over 750 did not tell the Employment Service their reason for leaving but a recent survey suggests that over half of them will have found work. A further 850 left for a variety of destinations including education, training and sickness or other benefits.
20. Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much has been spent on all aspects of promotion of the New Deal. [99362]
Ms Jowell:
A sum of £19,657,565 has been spent on promoting New Deal to employers and unemployed people. This has resulted in high levels of awareness of New Deal and positive attitudes towards it among employers and unemployed people. It helped ensure that large numbers of employers offered good quality job vacancies to those on New Deal and it demonstrably improved the motivation of unemployed people.
34. Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal for the unemployed. [99377]
2 Dec 1999 : Column: 306W
Ms Jowell:
The New Deal for young unemployed people continues to make good progress towards our manifesto target of moving 250,000 young people into work, which we expect to meet next year. By the end of September 1999 over 155,500 young people had found work through the New Deal, and more than 101,000 young people had benefited from training or work experience.
Ms Keeble:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps the Government are taking to improve access to financial services for people on the New Deal. [99345]
Mr. Blunkett:
I am pleased that earlier this year we signed an agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland that allows New Deal participants easier access to banking facilities. I expect other banks will follow this lead.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the level of staff turnover among personal advisers in the New Deal programme since its inception in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Greater London and (c) Leaside District; and if he will make a statement. [99641]
Ms Jowell:
Information relating to the job title of Employment Service employees is not held on our central HR Information System. The estimation of the level of staff turnover for personal advisers would therefore be at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Burden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for the development of the New Deal for those over 25 years. [99357]
Ms Jowell:
We have set aside £100 million next year to enhance the existing New Deal for long term unemployed people aged 25 and over. Building on this, and to give every unemployed adult the best possible chance of finding a job, we will introduce a strengthened package of help for unemployed people aged 25 and over from April 2001, which will include a range of enhanced, work focused and high quality options for all participants.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |