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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Civil Servants
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if she will set out for each civil service grade within her (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26
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to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities. [39151]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1072W.
Solicitors
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will make a statement on the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors and its role in reviewing complaints against solicitors. [44393]
Mr. Wills: Solicitors are members of a self-regulating professional body, the Law Society. The Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) is a separate organisation set up by the Law Society to handle complaints against members. The Government have warned the OSS that failure to make significant improvements in performance could result in the powers to appoint a Legal Services Complaints Commissioner being activated.
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to review the self-regulation of solicitors; and if he will make a statement. [44392]
Mr. Wills: The legal profession is independent of Government and as such it is the professional bodies which, in the first instance, are responsible for the regulation of their members. The Government have no current plans to alter this. However, we are aware of concerns about the standard of complaints handling by the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS). For this reason, the Government have already taken reserve powers to impose standards for complaints handling on the legal professional bodies. These powers would allow for the establishment of a new post, the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner, whose function would be to set targets for the handling of complaints by failing bodies. The Lord Chancellor is considering the OSS's performance against targets and any decision about the appointment of the Commissioner will be made in due course.
HEALTH
Nursing Home Residents
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his figure for self-financing residents of nursing homes in England and Wales was arrived at. [8333]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The Department of health conducted a survey of nursing homes, via health authorities' registration departments, in June and July of last year to establish the number and location of those paying their nursing home fees from their own resources (self funders). The results of the survey are available on the Department's website
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at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/freenursingcare/index.htm. A total of 42,700 self-funders were identified through this survey.
Lymphoedea
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the treatment in the NHS available to sufferers of lymphoedea. [9818]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Treatment, and where it is delivered, will depend on whether the patient has primary or secondary lymphoedema. Health authorities, in partnership with primary care groups/trusts, have the responsibility for deciding what services to provide for their populations including those with lymphoedema. They are best placed to understand local health needs and commission services to meet them.
Maternity Units
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into the difference in morbidity rates between mothers who have given birth in midwife-led maternity units and those who have given birth in other types of maternity units; and if he will make a statement. [10014]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 29 October 2001]: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The Department has not commissioned any such research.
The Maternity and Neonatal Workforce Group is considering different models of care, including midwife- led units, in order to inform the maternity services section of the Children's National Service Framework.
Psychiatric Nursing
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the factors underlying the fall in the number of community psychiatric nursing episodes from 1996–97 to 1999–2000. [12718]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 6 November 2001]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The factors underlying the fall in the number of community psychiatric nursing episodes from 1996–97 to 1999–2000 include the number of new professional community based roles; increase in the number of people with mental illness receiving first assessment and initial
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therapeutic interventions in primary care settings; and mental health service users and carers using NHS Direct and Walk-in Centres for advice and in a crisis.
Adoption and Children Bill
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what and how many representations he has received from individuals and voluntary adoption agencies regarding his proposed changes of access to birth information records as set out in the Adoption and Children Bill. [19206]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 29 November 2001]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
We have received many representations from individuals and organisations on access to information in relation to adoption and the provisions in the Adoption and Children Bill. As the hon. Member is aware, the Government have responded to the representations made to it and to the Special Standing Committee for the Bill by amending the provisions for access to birth record information.
Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now intends to announce a decision on the proposed merger of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the South Buckinghamshire NHS trusts. [25504]
Ms Blears [holding answer 9 January 2002]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, column 192W.
The merger of Stoke Mandeville Hospital NHS Trust and South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust has been proposed by the Trusts and Buckingamshire health authority. Ministers have agreed, in principle, that the public should be consulted on the proposal before any decision is made. The timing of the consultation is currently being finalised.
Emergency Services (Midlothian)
David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government are doing to deter callers from dialling for an ambulance when there is no emergency; and how many hoax calls were made in the Midlothian constituency from 1995 to date. [27179]
Ms Blears: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
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NHS ambulance trusts in England continue to undertake work to inform their local population about appropriate use of emergency ambulance services.
Ambulance services do not have to send an ambulance vehicle in response to 999 calls which do not require emergency care. Such calls will continue to receive a consistent and appropriate response based on national clinical standards. A fully crewed frontline ambulance will always be sent to life-threatening emergencies.
Responsibilities for Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Executive.
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