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Wild Deer Cull
Mr. Key: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his policy is on the culling of wild deer in Wiltshire in the spring; and if he will make a statement. [158196]
Ms Quin [holding answer 23 April 2001]: The Ministry has no plans for such a cull.
Invicta Lamb
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assess the implications for the farming industry of the closure of Invicta Lamb at Lamberhurst, Kent. [159594]
Ms Quin [holding answer 30 April 2001]: The Invicta Lamb abattoir at Lamberhurst was an important outlet for sheepmeat from the south of England in particular for export to the Continent.
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Animal Movements
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the average distance moved by (a) sheep and (b) cattle intended for slaughter between farm and abattoir was in (a) 1980, (b) 1990 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available. [159596]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 30 April 2001]: The information is not available.
Sugar Beet
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he will pursue to encourage transporters of sugar beet to use trunk roads for journeys to and from sugar beet factories. [159987]
Ms Quin [holding answer 1 May 2001]: Transporters of sugar beet must meet the relevant restrictions applicable to infected areas. The movement of sugar beet is not expected again until the autumn.
Meat Imports
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to reduce risks posed by the importation of meat products by passengers from abroad. [159951]
Ms Quin [holding answer 1 May 2001]: As my right hon. Friend the Minister said in his statement on 27 March, this Ministry is co-ordinating action across Government to ensure that rules on imports by passengers are enforced effectively.
Bovine TB
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of testing for bovine TB and associated slaughtering in the national herd since 20 February. [160208]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 3 May 2001]: Almost all routine testing for TB in cattle has been put on hold, with state veterinary service (SVS) resources diverted to deal with the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. In most areas, reactor cattle disclosed by testing carried out before the imposition of FMD movement restrictions are being held on farms. Decisions on re-tests on inconclusive reactors and short interval tests are being made on a case-by-case basis according to the FMD situation in different divisions of the SVS.
Krebs Trials
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the impact of the foot and mouth epidemic on the Krebs trials. [160207]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 3 May 2001]: Operations in the badger culling field trial were scheduled to resume after the close season ended on 1 May. However, preparations for the 2001 culling programme have been delayed because MAFF wildlife unit staff have been redeployed to assist with foot and mouth disease control measures. Some management functions are being maintained to ensure that the wildlife unit can rapidly move back into trial operations.
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HEALTH
Consultant Vacancies
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many vacancies there were for consultants in each year since 1995 broken down (a) by specialty and (b) by health authority; and if he will make a statement; [148087]
- (2) how many vacancies there were in the NHS for consultants by specialty in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [150390]
Mr. Denham: The data requested were not collected centrally before 1999. They are now published annually in the Department of Health Vacancies Survey, which has been published in the Library.
The total number of consultants as at 30 September 2000 (the latest figure) was 24,310--an increase of 1,081 or 4 per cent. on the year before.
Waiting Lists
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients were waiting on in-patient lists at each (a) NHS trust and (b) health authority area in March 1997; [153487]
- (2) how many patients were waiting more than 13 weeks on out-patient lists at each (a) NHS trust and (b) health authority in March 1997; [153488]
(3) which (a) NHS trusts and (b) health authorities have more (i) in-patients and (ii) out-patients waiting 12 months for their operations than in March 1997. [153473]
Mr. Denham: The data requested are publicly available in the following publications prepared by the Government Statistical Service (available in the Library):
- Hospital in-patient waiting list statistics, England, National Health Service trust based: The "Green Book".
Hospital in-patient waiting list statistics, England, population based: The "Yellow Book".
Waiting times for first out-patient appointment, England, NHS trust based: The "Red Book".
Waiting times for first out-patient appointment, England, population based: The "Purple Book".
Import Checks (Southampton)
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inspectors are employed to check imports of (a) meat and meat products and (b) fruit and vegetables at Southampton; what percentage of containers or loads are inspected; how many shipments have been rejected in the past year; what was the country of (i) production and (ii) export; and if he will make a statement. [155118]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 23 March 2001]: At present, data from enforcement authorities in respect of imported food are not separately identified. Under the terms of the new Framework Agreement between the Food Standards Agency and local food authorities, recently agreed, information specifically on imported foods will be available, but not before 2002.
Checks at Southampton port on meat, meat products, fruit and vegetables imported from third countries are the responsibility of the Port Health Authority. Imports of these foods from member states of the European Union
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are not subject to border controls. Imports of meat and meat products from other EU member states are subject to random checks at their point of destination within the United Kingdom.
Mental Health National Service
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the effects have been in Shrewsbury and Atcham on mental health patients of the introduction of the mental health national service framework. [156494]
Mr. Hutton: The mental health national service framework sets national standards and defines service models for promoting mental health and treating mental illness in the five following areas; mental health promotion, primary care and access to services, effective services for people with severe mental illness, caring about carers, and preventing suicide.
The local implementation team in Shropshire with responsibility for delivery of the mental health national service framework and the national health service plan (mental health) requirement is working actively to deliver the necessary changes in local services.
A stocktake of primary care mental health services is under way, as a bridge to improved links and joint work with primary care and general practitioners. The funding for an assertive outreach team has been identified, to serve the people of Shrewsbury and Atcham, and this will be functional this year. The low secure service on Wroxeter Ward is part of the regional network of secure services, and offers 16 beds providing a focus on rehabilitation.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been made available to help providers in South Cheshire deliver the provisions in the national service framework for mental health in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02. [159920]
Mr. Hutton: Modernisation money allocated to South Cheshire health authority for adult, adolescent and child mental health services for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 is shown in the table. These figures do not include funding made available to local providers of mental health services by the health authority from their general allocation. The figures also exclude allocations to local authorities for mental health services for the residents of South Cheshire.
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 279,000 |
| 2000-01 | 316,000 |
Funding details for South Cheshire health authority are not yet available for the year 2001-02. However, the national health service plan announced that there will be significant investment for the development of mental health services for the period 2001 to 2004 and health authority allocations will be made available on the basis of weighted populations.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been made available to help providers deliver the provisions in the national service framework for mental health in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02. [159919]
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Mr. Hutton: In 1999-2000 an additional £68.5 million, and in 2000-01 a further £66 million was made available to providers to deliver the provisions in the national service framework for mental health. In the period 2001-02 to 2003-04 an extra investment of £329 million will be provided to fast forward the national service framework and to enable us to deliver our national plan commitments. In addition £30 million for 2001-02 to 20002-03 will be made available to improve the physical infrastructure in acute wards.
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