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Housing
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each English health authority how many housing units have been (a) disposed of, (b) bought and (c) financed for purchase by specialist staff. [36622]
Mr. Hutton: Health authorities do not acquire or dispose of residential housing units for staff. Where staff accommodation is owned, this is through either National Health Service trusts or primary care trusts. The information requested has not been required to be collected in the past, so no records exist.
Artificial Limbs
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been (a) made available to and (b) spent by the NHS on the provision of silicone cosmesis for artificial limb users since April 2001. [36792]
Jacqui Smith: In January 2001, we announced that funding totalling £4 million over three years to provide silicone cosmesis covers to artificial limb users would be made available to the national health service. From April 2001 £0.5 million was added to health authorities' baseline allocation, with £1.5 million from 2002–03 and £2 million from 2003–04.
The contract for providing silicone cosmesis covers was awarded in October 2001. The contractor is required to provide the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency with quarterly contract sales which will include:
- Total sales figures in £s
£s spent by each Disablement Service Centre
what span of product are purchased.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding will be made available to the NHS by his Department for the provision of silicone cosmesis for artificial limb users in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [36793]
Jacqui Smith: The Department has made available £1.5 million in 2002–03 and £2 million in 2003–04 to the national health service to provide silicone cosmesis covers for artificial limb users.
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Apolipoproteins
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a uniform, standardised test for apolipoproteins. [24649]
Yvette Cooper: [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The measurement of apolipoproteins in the blood may be useful in predicting coronary heart disease. However total cholesterol and high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels remain the standard tests in clinical practice. NHS pathology services carrying out routine apolipoprotein testing (rather than or as an additional indicator of coronary heart disease) will need to be assured of its value in patient care, to use a standard technique and to be part of an accredited external quality assurance scheme. Our Pathology Modernisation Programme strongly encourages this approach.
Data Protection Act
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the policy of the Department is for ensuring responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 are completed within 40 days; and what their procedure is to achieve this; [33473]
- (2) what his estimate is of the average cost of processing each information request under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33442]
(3) what the longest period of time elapsed is between receiving (a) the administration fee and providing the information requested and (b) a request for information and providing the information requested, under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33452]
(4) how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 have been completed (a) within 40 days, (b) between 40 and 60 days and (c) over 60 days after receiving the original letter; and how many are still outstanding; [33568]
(5) what the Department's procedure is for responding to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement; [33480]
(6) how many requests the Department has received under the Data Protection Act 1988 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation; [33580]
(7) what percentage of responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of the £10 fee, (b) between 40 and 60 days of and (c) over 60 days after receiving the administration fee; [33466]
(8) what administration fees are charged by the Department for information requests made under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33459]
(9) what the period of time elapsed is for the oldest outstanding request for information under the Data Protection Act 1998, since receipt of the (a) original request and (b) administration fee; [33445]
(10) how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days, (b) between 40 and 60 days and (c) over 60 days after receiving the £10 administration fee; [33561]
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(11) how many responses the Department has completed to requests for information made under the Data Protection Act 1998 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation. [33573]
Ms Blears: The Department's policy is to respond to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 as quickly and accurately as possible, and in accordance with the data protection principles.
The Department follows a strict procedure in handling requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998. Requests are coordinated centrally and monitored. These arrangements are designed to ensure that requests are handled sensitively, and wherever possible responses provided on time.
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The Act provides for anyone seeking information to be given a response within 40 calendar days of receiving adequate proof of identity and an indication of what kind of personal data the Department is likely to hold. The time taken to reply is measured against the date when this information was received, not the date of the original letter. The Department does not currently charge an administration fee.
The table sets out the numbers of requests received since 1 March 2000, when the Act came into force, with an analysis of performance against the target. Those requesting information do not usually specify the format of information when submitting requests. The analysis shows where responses were based on paper or electronic records, or a mixture of the two.
| Format | Time to complete/ time outstanding | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic and paper | Electronic | Paper | Under 40 days | 40–60 days | Over 60 days | ||
| Total requests received | 56 | 30 | 10 | 16 | — | — | — |
| Total requests completed | 47 | 22 | 9 | 16 | 45 (96%) | 2 (4%) | 0 |
| Total outstanding | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 8 | — | 1 |
The longest period of time elapsed between receiving a request for information and providing the information requested was 60 days. The period of time elapsed for the oldest outstanding request for information is 68 days (on 12 February 2002).
The Department does not currently measure the time and effort needed to respond to each information request on an individual basis. These vary considerably in relation to the nature and complexity of requests. No estimate of the average cost is available.
A copy of the Department's procedure for handling responses to information requests will be deposited in the Library.
Muchal Fold Scans
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health have many NHS trusts charge for a muchal fold scan for mothers over the age of 35 years. [33756]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally.
NHS Board Appointments
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give the number of people from the Warrington, North constituency who in each of the past five years have (a) applied for and (b) been appointed to positions on the board of the (i) North Cheshire health authority, (ii) Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS trust, (iii) North Cheshire hospitals and Warrington hospital NHS trust, (iv) Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS trust, (v) Clatterbridge Centre Oncology NHS trust, (vi) Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool NHS trust and (vii) Warrington Community NHS trust; [34975]
- (2) how many people from the Warrington, North constituency have, in each of the past five years, (a) applied for and (b) been appointed to positions on the board of the (i) Ashworth hospital authority SHA, (ii) Christie hospital NHS trust, (iii) Family Health Services Appeal Authority SHA and (iv) National Blood Authority SHA. [35525]
Ms Blears: Information is not available on applications made in the last five years. Details of applications made by people living in Warrington, North since 1 April 2001 and appointments made in the last five years are provided in the table.
| Applications since 1 April 2001 | Applications in the last five years | |
|---|---|---|
| Ashworth Hospital Authority Special Health Authority | 0 | 2 |
| Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool NHS trust | 0 | 0 |
| Clatterbridge Centre Oncology NHS trust | 0 | 0 |
| Christie Hospital NHS trust | 0 | 0 |
| Family Health Services Appeal Authority | 0 | 0 |
| Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS trust | 0 | 0 |
| National Blood Authority | 0 | 0 |
| North Cheshire health authority | 0 | 2 |
| North Cheshire hospitals NHS trust | 0 | 1 |
| Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS trust | 0 | 0 |
| Warrington community NHS trust | 0 | 3 |
| Warrington hospital NHS trust | 0 | 1 |
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