---

London Heart Hospital

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available in the London Heart hospital; and what have been the bed occupancy levels since 3 September. [21985]

Mr. Hutton: There are currently 65 beds available in the London Heart hospital. The acquisition of the hospital was 6 September 2001 and cardiac in-patient services were transferred from University College Hospitals NHS Trust (Middlesex hospital site) to the new facility on 1 October 2001. Occupancy for the month of November 2001 was 85.2 per cent.

Food Supplements Directive

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the European Commission regarding the time period for submission of safety dossiers on nutrients to the EU scientific committee on foods; and if he will make a statement. [22350]

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 445W

Yvette Cooper: The proposed European Union Directive on food supplements would require submission of dossiers supporting inclusion of additional nutrients and nutrient sources in the annexes to the Directive within 18 months of adoption.

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the European Commission on how it intends to interpret Article 5 of the food supplements Directive; and if he will make a statement. [22352]

Yvette Cooper: Article 5 of the proposed food supplements Directive would establish the approach to setting maximum limits for vitamins and minerals. The Food Standards Agency, which is negotiating this Directive on the Government's behalf, has discussed the interpretation of this Article with the European Commission on a number of occasions. The FSA is pressing for limits to be based on thorough scientific risk assessments.

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the nutrients included in the annexes to the food supplements Directive; and if he will make a statement. [22351]

Yvette Cooper: The annexes of the proposed European Union Directive on food supplements list nutrients and nutrient sources which can be used in these products; many substances used in food supplements on the United Kingdom market are not, however, included in the current lists. The Food Standards Agency, which is responsible

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 446W

for negotiating this Directive on the Government's behalf, has secured an amendment to the proposal which would allow individual member states, during a seven year transitional period, to allow sale of products containing substances which are not on the lists. The annexes would then be amended to include additional substances cleared by the EU scientific committee on foods.

Cancer Drugs

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral answer to the Prime Minister of 28 November 2001, Official Report, column 961, which new anti-cancer drugs are to be made available to the NHS by the end of the year. [22200]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 December 2001]: New cancer drugs come on stream continuously. Following appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, new drugs for 13 specific indications could be available by the end of 2001 (timings are of course subject to the appeals process). The national health service will be obliged to fund the implementation of any such guidance, and the extra resources that we announced recently will ensure that the NHS is well placed to do so.

NHS Employees

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were employed in the national health service in each of the last four years; and how many were (a) doctors and (b) nurses. [22521]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.

Headcount

	1997	1998	1999	2000
Total NHS staff(44)	1,058,690	1,071,560	1,098,350	1,118,960
of which:
Total NHS doctors	89,620	91,840	93,980	96,320
GMPs (excluding GP retainers)(45),(46)	29,390	29,700	29,990	30,250
All HCHS medical and dental staff(47)	60,230	62,140	63,990	66,070
of which:
Total NHS nurses(48)	435,960	440,640	450,600	460,010
HCHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	417,570	421,750	431,100	440,810
of which:
Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	300,470	304,560	310,140	316,750
Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	116,430	116,580	119,680	123,850
GMS practice nurses	18,390	18,890	19,500	19,200

⁽⁴⁴⁾ This figure includes GP retainers

⁽⁴⁵⁾ GP retainers were collected for the first time in the 1999 census, for comparability these have been excluded from GMPs

⁽⁴⁶⁾ The 1999 figure excludes 972 GP retainers and the 2000 figure excludes 1,117 GP retainers

⁽⁴⁷⁾ Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are also GPs working part-time in hospitals

⁽⁴⁸⁾ Total includes unclassifiable nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff

Notes:

1. National health service hospital and community health services and general medical and personal medical services: All NHS staff, including all doctors and nurses, as at 30 September each year

2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10

3. Figures exclude learners and agency staff

4. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts

5. General and Personal Medical Services data collected at 1 October 1997–99

Sources:

Department of Health medical and dental work force census

Department of Health non-medical work force census

Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 447W

Mayday Hospital, Croydon

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated at the accident and emergency department at Mayday hospital, Croydon in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the capacity is for that period. [22680]

Mr. Hutton: In the financial year 2000–01, Mayday health care national health service trust had a total of 95,259 accident and emergency attendances, 86,681 being first attendances. Accident and emergency capacity figures are not collected.

Digital Hearing Aids

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a full copy of the interim evaluation results from the First Wave digital hearing aid sites. [23236]

Jacqui Smith: The modernisation of hearing aid services project is being evaluated by the Institute for Hearing Research on an on-going basis. The Department has been, and will continue to be, looking at the information coming out of that work with the Institute, but no formal interim reports are being published. The evaluation will be completed by the end of 2002, and a full report will be published at that time.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 December 2001, Official Report, column 486W, on digital hearing aids, by what date his Department will pass on the interim evaluation results of the first 20 first wave NHS trusts that are providing digital hearing aids to (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) the National Assembly for Wales and (c) the Northern Ireland Assembly. [23554]

Jacqui Smith: The modernisation of hearing aid services project is being evaluated by the Institute for Hearing Research on an on-going basis. While no formal interim reports are being published, officials of the Department are in contact with officials of the devolved Administrations and are sharing information with them as the project progresses.

We will make the full results available to the devolved Administrations when they are available.

Nursing

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse cadet schemes are in operation across the UK; and what plans he has to (a) continue to fund and (b) extend funding for such schemes. [23075]

Mr. Hutton: As at 31 March 2001 there were 64 cadet schemes in operation in England.

The operation and funding of cadet schemes is determined locally, in accordance with local needs and priorities.

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further plans he has to promote careers in nursing to young people; and if he will make a statement. [23076]

Mr. Hutton: In 2002–03 the Department will be running a national publicity campaign, a schools competition to promote careers to young people and

19 Dec 2001 : Column: 448W

'nurses day'. National Health Service Careers will continue to offer information on nursing careers via revised literature, telephone and website. The Workforce Development Confederation will be co-ordinating liaison with schools in their local areas. Loughborough University have been commissioned to research the attractiveness of the NHS as an employer to potential nursing staff.

---