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Livestock

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) cows, (b) sheep and (c) pigs there were in the UK on 1 October. [10275]

Mr. Morley: Figures are collected in June in the Annual Agricultural and Horticultural Census by the relevant UK Departments.

As at June 2001

			Thousand
	Total cattle and calves	Total sheep and lamb	Total pigs
England	5,749	16,140	4,823
Wales	1,271	9,976	41
Scotland	1,903	8,090	596
Northern Ireland	1,677	2,574	398
UK	10,600	36,780	5,858

Note:

Wales and Northern Ireland figures are provisional

Source:

June 2001 agricultural and horticultural census

Agrimonetary Compensation

Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she intends to apply to pay optional agrimonetary compensation to the arable sector. [12221]

Mr. Morley: We have considered the case for payment of optional agrimonetary compensation to the arable sector. While we acknowledge the difficulties that the sector is facing, we have decided not to draw down these funds given the many competing demands on the Exchequer at present, not least the cost of eradicating foot and mouth disease. The arable sector will, however, receive £28 million in compulsory agrimonetary compensation this autumn.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Summer Recess

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) press notices and (b) consultation documents were issued by his Department during the summer recess. [9227]

Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's Press Office issued 48 press notices including one with a consultation document.

HEALTH

Sexual Offences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce new legislation on sexual offences further to protect mentally handicapped victims. [10072]

Mr. Denham: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health.

Responsibility for the current review of legislation relating to sex offences rests with the Home Department.

31 Oct 2001 : Column: 740W

When the Government set up the Sex Offences Review in January 1999, its terms of reference included

"to provide coherent clear sex offences which protect individuals, especially children and the more vulnerable, from abuse and exploitation."

The recommendations of the Sex Offences Review to Government on reforming the law on sex offences were published in 'Setting the Boundaries' in July 2000. We are considering how to change all existing sex offences in the light of over 700 responses to that consultation document, including how to deal with sex offences against those with learning disabilities, and will be bringing forward legislation in due course.

Cardiac Surgery (Jarrow)

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cardiac surgical operations have been carried out on people in the Jarrow constituency in each of the last five years. [8827]

Jacqui Smith: As data are not available at constituency level, the information in the table has been supplied for health authority area of residence.

The figures show the number of finished consultant episodes for heart operations which took place in national health service hospitals in England in the years 1995–96 to 1999–2000.

Heart operationsFinished consultant episodes for patients treated in NHS hospitals in England and resident in Gateshead and South Tyneside HA or Newcastle and North Tyneside HA 1995–96 to 1999–2000

	Gateshead and South Tyneside	Newcastle and North Tyneside
1995–96
CABG	174	262
PTCA	67	174
Other heart ops	805	1,245
Total	1,046	1,681
1996–97
CABG	194	284
PTCA	119	134
Other heart ops	879	1,287
Total	1,192	1,705
1997–98
CABG	231	281
PTCA	83	123
Other heart ops	1,164	1,480
Total	1,478	1,884
1998–99
CABG	242	297
PTCA	99	138
Other heart ops	1,031	1,530
Total	1,372	1,965
1999–2000
CABG	199	263
PTCA	120	197
Other heart ops	1,124	1,576
Total	1,443	2,036

Notes:

An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.

Operation codes (OPCS4R) used are as follows:

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)-K40–46.

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)-KA49–50.

Other heart ops-K01–39, K47–48, K51–71.

Figures in this table have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.

Source:

Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Department of Health

31 Oct 2001 : Column: 741W

NHS Costs

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the NHS to the average family was in 2000–01; and what it is forecast to be in 2001–02. [10512]

Mr. Hutton: The Department produces figures on national health service expenditure per head of population. Public expenditure on the NHS in England is expected to be around £890 per head of population in 2000–01, rising to £970 in 2001–02.

Occupancy Rates

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the occupancy rates for each NHS hospital trust in (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01. [11119]

Mr. Hutton: Bed data, including occupancy rates, are available in the annual publication 'Bed availability and occupancy—England: Each Financial Year to 1999–2000',

31 Oct 2001 : Column: 742W

copies of which are available in the Library. Alternatively, information can be downloaded from the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.

Whittington Hospital

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what details of the PFI proposals for the Whittington hospital will be published; and if he will publish his assessment of (a) its cost and (b) the cost of direct departmental funding. [11447]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 30 October 2001]: Details of the private finance initiative proposals for the Whittington hospital project will be published by the Whittington Hospital National Health Service Trust one month after final approval has been given and the funding route for the project agreed. Under our code of openness, the trust's full business case will be made publicly available and will include full details of the cost of the PFI proposals and the publicly funded alternative.

Mental Health Services

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new graduate primary care mental health workers (a) have been employed and (b) will be employed in (i) the current financial year, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04.[11522]

Jacqui Smith: The proposal to develop 1,000 new mental health workers in primary care outlined in the NHS Plan forms part of a package of measures designed to strengthen primary mental health care. The new graduate primary care workers will be employed in the financial year 2003–04.

TREASURY

Debt Write-off (Government Companies)

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the granting of requests for debt write-offs by national and local government and wholly- owned companies of the Government; how many such debt write-offs have been agreed since 1996–97; and which Minister gave approval to such write-offs in each case. [10926]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Treasury expects all public bodies to have appropriate systems to manage their finances within the funds available and to take a prudent approach to the raising and financing of debt. While Treasury approval is generally required for write-offs, the final decision in individual cases rests with the relevant Secretary of State. The decision to remit lending will of course depend on the particular circumstances of the case.

Departments are responsible for accounting for all loans, including write-offs. In the case of loans from the National Loans Fund, primary legislation is required before any loan can be written off. In the case of lending financed by Departments, all other write-offs must be recorded in the accounts of the leading department and any remission of voted lending above £20 million is reported to Parliament by way of a Treasury Minute.

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