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Departmental Staff
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate total annual staff costs for his Department and its agencies by nation and region of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [6865]
Ms Blears: The information requested is shown in the table.
(29) Government office regions (GORs) as defined by Cabinet Office for official statistical returns. It excludes data where GOR information is not held
Note:
Figures relate to England only and include the Department's agencies. The Department has no staff in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
Source:
Department of Health August 2001 payroll data
18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1352W
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of each civil service grade in his Department is located in each region and nation of the United Kingdom; what the average salary is for each grade; and if he will make a statement. [6868]
Ms Blears: The information requested is shown in the tables.
| Government office region (GORs)(30) | All grades | SCS level | Level 6/7 | SEO/HEO level | EO level | AO/AA level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 3,108 | 272 | 623 | 843 | 705 | 665 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 8 | 17 | 24 | 24 | 26 |
| South East | 182 | 10 | 45 | 59 | 39 | 29 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 5 | 22 | 30 | 20 | 23 |
| South West | 231 | 27 | 67 | 57 | 37 | 43 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 11 | 30 | 24 | 15 | 21 |
| West Midlands | 160 | 22 | 40 | 24 | 34 | 40 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 14 | 25 | 15 | 21 | 26 |
| North West | 810 | 23 | 88 | 140 | 132 | 427 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 58 |
| North East | 158 | 20 | 35 | 43 | 22 | 38 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 12 | 22 | 28 | 14 | 26 |
| Merseyside | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 87 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 1,301 | 75 | 316 | 374 | 283 | 253 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 5 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 27 |
| East Midlands | 64 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 40 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 11 | 72 |
| Eastern | 131 | 16 | 51 | 25 | 18 | 21 |
| (Percentage) | 100 | 11 | 37 | 19 | 14 | 18 |
| Total | 6,160 | 467 | 1,274 | 1,568 | 1,284 | 1,567 |
(30) Government office regions (GORs) as defined by Cabinet Office for official statistical returns. It excludes data where GOR information is not held
Note:
Figures relate to England only. The Department has no staff in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
Source:
Department of Health August 2001 payroll data
18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1353W
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Grade | Average(31) |
| SCS | 67,725 |
| Grade 6 | 49,651 |
| Grade 7 | 39,983 |
| SEO | 28,833 |
| HEO | 22,818 |
| EO | 18,287 |
| AO | 14,218 |
| AA | 10,906 |
(31) The average of salaries for each grade across all Government office regions (GORs)
Note:
August 2001 payroll data
Animal Experiments
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to promote the benefits of the use of animals in the testing of drugs. [6508]
Ms Blears [holding answer 16 October 2001]: The Minister with responsibility for research at the Department, my noble Friend the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, takes every available opportunity to make it clear that properly regulated research using animals is absolutely essential to the discovery of new treatments, as well as to the assessment of safety and efficacy of medicines.
Prosthetics
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the additional funding for silicone cosmesis for prosthetic limbs announced in Autumn 2000 will be given to disablement service centres. [8095]
Jacqui Smith: We have increased health authority allocations by £4 million over the next three years to provide silicone cosmesis for prosthetic limb users. This funding started in April this year with £0.5 million for 2001–02, £1.5 million for 2002–03 and a further £2 million for 2003–04.
These amounts were in health authority general allocations. We will be writing to chief executives and finance directors of health authorities that commission prosthetic services to ensure this funding is available to disablement services centres.
The contract for purchasing the silicone cosmesis coverings was negotiated and awarded on 1 October 2001.
Head Injuries
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government will publish their response to the Health Committee's report on rehabilitation following head injury. [8334]
Jacqui Smith: The response was laid before Parliament on 24 July. The response is called "Government Response to the Health Select Committee: Inquiry into Head Injury Rehabilitation", (Command Paper 5226). The response can also be downloaded from the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/longterm.htm.
18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1354W
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities in England providing funding for anti-TNF therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis. [7721]
Jacqui Smith: Information on the prescribing of Etanercept (Enbrel) and Infliximab (Remicade) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is not available centrally.
Infliximab (Remicade) and Etanercept (Enbrel) are currently being appraised by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Until NICE has completed its appraisal, National Health Service bodies have been advised to determine local prescribing policies based on the available evidence.
Older People (Challenging Behaviour)
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on older people whose health problems include challenging behaviour. [8532]
Jacqui Smith: The National Service Framework for Older People was published on 27 March this year. It sets, for the first time, new national standards of care for all older people, across all care settings. The NSF looks at conditions that mainly affect older people, including dementia.
Standard 7 of the NSF relates to mental health and will ensure that those older people who have mental health problems have access to integrated mental health services to ensure effective diagnosis, treatment and support, for them and for their carers.
Although memory loss is a universal symptom of dementia, psychiatric systems and behavioural disturbances (such as depression, wandering, agitation, aggression, hallucinations and paranoid ideas) may also be present in those individuals with dementia.
The NSF recognised that specialist mental health services should be available to be consulted about and treat the most common mental health disorders in old age (depression, dementia, schizophrenia, mania and confusional states). Specialist care may be required for individuals suffering from behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
A full range of psychological and physical treatments should be available, including:
- advice on behavioural management for people in residential and nursing homes;
- drug treatment with antipsychotic and other forms of medications, where appropriate;
- individual and family counselling and support.
The guidance "Managing Violence in Mental Health" states that individual patients should be risk assessed for violence to themselves and/or others. Where a risk of violence is identified, an action plan or strategy for dealing with such behaviour should also be in place.
18 Oct 2001 : Column: 1355W
Alcohol and Drug Misuse
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the representative body for alcohol and drug counselling regarding "Fit for the future". [8557]
Jacqui Smith: The Department consulted widely when developing the draft national minimum standards for care homes for younger people; these standards include services for drug and alcohol misuse. In addition, representatives from Alcohol Concern and DrugScope were members of the formal reference group that advised the Department. The consultation period for these standards closed on 21 September and the Department is currently considering the 500 responses received.
"Fit for the Future" was a consultation document for older people's services, published in 1999.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what flexibility he will allow care homes who specialise in treating alcohol or drug addicts under "Fit for the future" proposals. [8556]
Jacqui Smith: The Department has just completed the consultation on draft regulations for care homes and national minimum standards for care homes for younger adults, including those for drug and alcohol misuse. We will consider all responses fully before finalising our proposals.
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