House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 5 Jul 2001 (pt 15)

Marsh Report

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Marsh report into the veterinary profession's right to dispense prescription-only medicines. [1984]

Mr. Morley: The then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend (Mr. Brown), appointed a group under the chairmanship of Professor Sir John Marsh CBE to carry out an independent review of dispensing by veterinary surgeons as part of the Government's Action Plan for Farming. Its terms of reference were to review the procedures by which prescription only medicines (POMs) for veterinary use are classified and sold in the United Kingdom and the impact current practices may be having on availability and prices, and to make recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by 31 March 2001.

The chairman presented the Group's report to the then Minister on 16 March 2001 and it was published on 11 May. The Government's draft response to the report is under consideration and, in due course, will be circulated for comment to interested organisations and individuals before consideration is given to the implementation of any of the recommendations contained in the report.

HEALTH

Personal Social Services

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure consistency of charges among local authorities for non-residential personal social services. [262]

Jacqui Smith: We published draft guidance on fairer charging policies for non-residential social services on 3 January 2001. Following consultation, we plan to issue final guidance later this summer.

Residential Care Homes

Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential care homes in (a) the county of Essex and (b) the boroughs of Thurrock and Southend- on-Sea were (i) publicly-owned and (ii) privately-owned in each year from 1995 to 2000 inclusive. [1066]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.

Number of local authority staffed and independent residential care homes in Essex, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea local authorities, 1995 to 2000

Number

Essex⁽¹⁰⁾ Thurrock Southend-on-Sea

As at 31 March LA homes⁽¹¹⁾ Independent homes⁽¹²⁾ LA Homes⁽¹¹⁾ Independent homes⁽¹²⁾ LA homes⁽¹¹⁾ Independent homes⁽¹²⁾

1995 67 464 ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾—

1996 66 500 ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾—

1997 68 629 ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾—

1998 61 583 ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾— ⁽¹³⁾—

1999 47 411 5 28 7 122

2000 45 378 3 28 6 120

						Number
	Essex⁽¹⁰⁾	Thurrock	Southend-on-Sea
As at 31 March	LA homes⁽¹¹⁾	Independent homes⁽¹²⁾	LA Homes⁽¹¹⁾	Independent homes⁽¹²⁾	LA homes⁽¹¹⁾	Independent homes⁽¹²⁾
1995	67	464	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—
1996	66	500	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—
1997	68	629	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—
1998	61	583	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—	⁽¹³⁾—
1999	47	411	5	28	7	122
2000	45	378	3	28	6	120

⁽¹⁰⁾ Information is presented for the former county of Essex (ie prior to re-organisation) for 1995 to 1998

⁽¹¹⁾ Local authority staffed homes

⁽¹²⁾ Consists of voluntary, private, dual registered and small homes

⁽¹³⁾ Not available as areas did not exist until 1 April 1998

Source:

RA form A, RAC

5 Jul 2001 : Column: 285W

NHS Staff Numbers

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors left service in the NHS in the last (a) two and (b) four years. [1610]

Mr. Hutton: Data are not collected on the number of hospital doctors who leave the National Health Service. The number of unrestricted principals or equivalents (who most people will have as their general practitioner) who left the NHS for any reason between 1996–97 and 1999–2000 is in the table. Doctors who 'left' include resignations, retirements and short-term career breaks. Some of these doctors will 'rejoin' the NHS at a later date.

Unrestricted principals and equivalents who left the NHS in England 1996–97 to 1999–2000

(headcount)

Leavers

1996–97 1,058

1997–98 1,040

1998–99 1,030

1999–2000 1,098

	(headcount)
	Leavers
1996–97	1,058
1997–98	1,040
1998–99	1,030
1999–2000	1,098

Notes:

1. Unrestricted principals and equivalents includes general medical service unrestricted principals, personal medical service contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs

2. Leaver data refer to those UPEs leaving between 1 October and 30 September

3. Leavers are defined as those UPEs who were employed in a particular census but were not registered in the following census. We do not know why these doctors left.

Source:

General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Care Home Beds

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing and residential care home beds there (a) are and (b) were in May 1997 in England. [1608]

Jacqui Smith: The numbers of residential care and nursing care home beds at 31 March 2000 and 31 March 1997 are shown in the table.

Number of residential and nursing care home beds in England, 1997 and 2000—as at 31 March

Residential care Nursing care

1997 338,140 196,269

2000 345,578 193,330

	Residential care	Nursing care
1997	338,140	196,269
2000	345,578	193,330

Source:

Department of Health Annual Statistical returns

5 Jul 2001 : Column: 286W

Nursing Home Fees

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department did not meet the deadline of December 1999 set out in circulars on 11 August 1999 (Health Service Circular 1999/180 and Local Authority Circular (99) 30) to give final advice on the lawful way to charge nursing home fees; and what factors underlay the delays in issuing this advice prior to March 2001. [1836]

Jacqui Smith: Health Service Circular 1999/180: Local Authority Circular (99)30 said that the Department would:

"aim to issue any new guidance later this year [1999]".

New continuing care guidance for the National Health Service and social services (HSC2001/015: LAC (2001)18) was issued on 28 June. It replaced nine pieces of guidance on continuing care, stretching back to 1992.

Autism

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recent change in the incidence of autism. [2248]

Jacqui Smith: The number of children identified as having autism is increasing. Although the full explanation for this increase is not clear, it is at least in part due to improvement in diagnosis by the clinical professions, including child mental health specialists and community paediatricians.

The Department has recently asked the Medical Research Council to conduct a detailed review of the current state of knowledge about autism and to suggest possible areas for further research. The aim is to obtain a clear and comprehensive picture of what is currently known about the incidence, prevalence and causes of autism and how strong the evidence is which underpins that knowledge.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce tests for children at an early age to detect autism. [2249]

Jacqui Smith: We have recently announced the establishment of a working party to develop new guidance on how the needs of young disabled children aged 0–2 and their families can be met. This guidance, which will

5 Jul 2001 : Column: 287W

be issued jointly by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health will cover issues such as early diagnosis, intervention and support.

A group chaired by Professor Ann Le Couteur, the National Initiative on Autism, is looking at diagnosis and early interventions in autism. This is being funded by the National Autistic Society. We will consider what, if any, further action needs to be taken in the light of the group's report.

A number of diagnostic tools have been developed in recent years. These include the diagnostic interview for social and communication disorders whose further development is being led by the National Autistic Society.

Registered Blind People

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered blind people there are in the United Kingdom; and how many have assistance animals. [1725]

Jacqui Smith: The Department receives returns from all local authorities in England on the numbers of blind and partially sighted people registered with local authority social services departments. The latest figures for the year ending 31 March 2000 show 157,820 registered blind people in England.

There are 4,763 blind and partially sighted people in the United Kingdom who are guide dog owners. Each year 700 people receive training for new or replacement guide dogs. It is not known how many of these people are registered blind.

Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Assemblies.

Next Section

Index

Home Page