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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 26 February 2002
HEALTH
Dementia
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of Government support for research into the causes and treatment of dementia; and if he will make a statement. [23323]
Jacqui Smith: The National Service Framework for Older People highlights the development of services for people with dementia as a high priority. As such, future research underpinning the continued development of services for older people will take full account of dementia services.
We welcomed the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of anti dementia drugs in January last year. The widespread availability for the anti dementia drugs appraised will have a profound effect on the quality of life for mental health sufferers; it will tilt the balance of specialist services towards earlier diagnosis and a more clinic-based approach than has been the case to date. With £12 million being made available for the prescribing of these drugs, it is expected that 15,000 people will benefit from NICE's guidance.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), the main agency through with the Government support research on the causes and treatment of disease and funded via the Department of Trade and Industry, spent approximately £8.2 million on dementia research in 2000–01.
Ward Refurbishments
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been made available to the Worthing and Southlands hospital trust over the last five years for the refurbishment of wards. [26497]
Ms Blears [holding answer 11 January 2002]: Each year national health service trusts receive an allocation of capital to be spent at the trust's discretion, referred to as block capital.
The Worthing and Southlands trust's allocations for the last five years were:
| Block capital allocation | Increase on previous year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (£000) | (£000) | (Percentage) | |
| 1997–98 | 775 | — | — |
| 1998–99 | 930 | 155 | 20.5 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,589 | 659 | 70.9 |
| 2000–01 | 1,610 | 21 | 1.3 |
| 2001–02 | 1,983 | 373 | 23.2 |
Regarding revenue, in 2000–01 and 2001–02 the trusts received additional ring-fenced ward budgets specifically
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available to be spent at the discretion of the ward sister. These were £2,500 per ward in 2000–01 and £5,000 per ward, £150,000 in total, in 2001–02.
Regulatory Impact Assessments
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by his Department since August 2001; and if he will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in Good Policy Making. [28403]
Ms Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 18 January 2002, Official Report, column 483W.
Mortality Rate
David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government are doing to help reduce the UK's seasonal mortality rate. [27183]
Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane) on 31 January 2002, Official Report, columns 363–66W.
Addiction (Young People)
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount will be spent in the next financial year to assist (a) pre-teenagers and (b) teenagers in dealing with (i) alcohol and (ii) tobacco addictions. [28113]
Ms Blears: The funds spent on the treatment of alcohol and tobacco addiction among children and young people form part of the general budgets allocated to health authorities and local authorities. The amounts devoted to each cannot be separately identified.
Multiple Sclerosis (Drug Prices)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with pharmaceutical companies which manufacture disease modifying drugs for MS concerning their pricing policy for the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [28582]
Ms Blears: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 8 February 2002, Official Report, column 1241W.
Anorexia
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further action he is taking to improve support to those diagnosed with anorexia. [28821]
Jacqui Smith: We want to ensure that all mental health problems are addressed through good quality services which are sensitive to service users needs, gender and ethnicity. That is why we published a National Service Framework (NSF) for mental health, in September 1999. This sets national standards in five key areas with time
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scales and targets for achievement. Eating disorders, including anorexia, is one of the common mental health problems, which the framework seeks to address.
We have made significant additional investment in mental health services—£700 million over three years in addition to the £3 billion already invested. Strong monitoring mechanisms have been introduced to ensure that money for mental health is actually spent on implementing the NSF. It is for health authorities to plan and decide on the level of additional investment locally to meet the standards of NSF in relation to eating disorders.
Services for people with eating disorders have been defined as specialist mental health services. This means that primary care trusts will be expected to act collaboratively to ensure that the right level and quality of service is available to their populations. The new strategic health authorities will have a role in ensuring that this happens. Consideration is also being given to a means of achieving national oversight of specialised mental health services to ensure that they become increasingly available to the whole population.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will be developing a specific guideline on the management of eating disorders and the further development of NHS Direct will mean that eating disorders sufferers will be able to get first-level advice and referral on to specialised helplines or to local services.
We support a number of charitable organisations in this field, including the Eating Disorders Association and 'Weight Concern'.
Churches Child Protection Advisory Service
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service has spent the section 64 funding allocated to it by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [29229]
Jacqui Smith: The section 64 scheme core grant of £48,000 per year over the three years from 2000–01 to 2002–03 was awarded to help fund the central administrative costs of the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service. The grant is being used by the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, among other things, to:
- Develop programmes to prevent abuse and support families;
Help churches and other organisations prepare and implement child protection policies;
Provide advice in individual cases through a telephone helpline and face-to-face contact;
Provide advice to social services and the police carrying out child protection inquiries in religious communities, and counselling to church leaders, adults and children before, during and after such inquiries;
Provide advice and support to denominational child protection advisers; and
Run child protection training events across the country.
Technology Advisory Group
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) remit and (b) responsibilities of the Technology Advisory Group are; and if he will list (i) the members and (ii) their declared interests. [28813]
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Ms Blears [holding answer 21 January 2002]: The Technologies Advisory Group is an internal Department of Health committee, with external advisers, which advises Ministers on topics which might be referred for appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Members of the group and advisers are asked to declare interests in relation to specific topics under discussion. We will shortly be publishing a consultation paper with proposals to clarify and strengthen the way in which topics are selected for referral to NICE, including proposals for the future composition of the Technologies Advisory Group.
Perioperative Death
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he knew that the National Confidential Inquiry into Perioperative Death's report, "Changing the Way we Operate", would be published on 4 December 2001; and when he first saw a copy of the report. [29286]
Yvette Cooper: The National Confidential Inquiry into Perioperative Death told the Department in August 2001 that it intended to publish its report in December. It confirmed on 30 October that the date would be 4 December. An advance copy of the report was sent to the Department on 21 November.
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