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Midwives

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies were unfilled in the NHS for qualified midwives in each of the last five years. [43867]

Mr. Hutton: The number of midwives working in the NHS increased from 22,570 to 23,080 between September 2000 and September 2001.

The Department has only collected vacancy information as at 31 March for the last three years. The information requested is in the table.

3-month vacancies for all qualified midwives

	3-month vacancy rates (%)	3-month vacancies	Staff in post
March 1999	2.1	400	18,170
March 2000	2.8	510	17,880
March 2001	2.6	470	17,660

Notes:

1. Three-month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March each year which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents).

2. Three-month vacancy rates are three-month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three-month vacancies plus staff in post from the previous September non-medical workforce census (whole time equivalent).

3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten.

4. Percentages rounded to one decimal place.

Source:

Department of Health vacancies survey each year and non-medical workforce census

Nurses

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed in accident and emergency departments in England. [43552]

Mr. Hutton: It is not possible to separately identify nurses employed in accident and emergency (A&E) departments.

On 30 September 2001, there were 241,910 nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff within the acute, elderly and general area of work.

The Reforming Emergency Care Strategy was announced in October 2001. It provides £40 million new investment between now and March 2003 to recruit 600 additional A&E nurses. This will provide sufficient staff to allow separation of services for patients with minor injury or illness from those patients with more serious conditions in all A&E departments.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent (a) health visitors, (b) school nurses, (c) district nurses and (d) community

10 Apr 2002 : Column 490W

psychiatric nurses were in training in each region in September of each year since 1997 broken down by (i) gender and (ii) ethnic origin. [41700]

Mr. Hutton: Information collected by the Department does not record the gender or ethnicity of health visitors, school nurses, district nurses and community psychiatric nurses in training. Information was not collected in 1997–98. The whole-time equivalent numbers in training between 1999–2000 and 2000–01 in each region are shown in the tables.

Health visitors in training 1998–99 to 2000–01

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Trent	55	53	59
South East	89	81	92
South West	42	34	38
Northern and Yorkshire	129	142	190
North West	76	84	84
London	101	99	105
Eastern	38	53	68
West Midlands	52	52	60
Total	580	598	695

School nurses in training 1998–99 to 2000–01

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Trent	7	9	14
South East	19	20	21
South West	1	6	20
Northern and Yorkshire	31	27	18
North West	14	23	23
London	24	24	28
Eastern	5	10	18
West Midlands	19	18	20
Total	119	137	162

District nurses in training 1998–99 to 2000–01

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Trent	50	44	49
South East	96	90	95
South West	36	28	42
Northern and Yorkshire	103	127	80
North West	64	71	71
London	93	101	103
Eastern	38	46	53
West Midlands	62	67	67
Total	541	574	560

Community psychiatric nurses in training 1998–99 to 2000–01

	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01
Trent	3	4	0
South East	64	51	34
South West	13	16	7
Northern and Yorkshire	13	38	6
North West	37	30	30
London	55	43	67
Eastern	19	38	29
West Midlands	40	34	34
Total	244	253	207

Source:

1998–99 data—November 1999 Financial and Workforce Information Return

1999–2000 data—November 2000 Financial and Workforce Information Return

2000–01 data—November 2001 Financial and Workforce Information Return

10 Apr 2002 : Column 491W

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the number of whole time equivalent nurses who will be performing non-clinical duties with (a) the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, (b) the Commission for Health Improvement and (c) the NHS Modernisation Agency. [24598]

Mr. Hutton [pursuant to his reply, 10 January 2002, c. 999W]: I regret that my previous reply was incorrect. It should read as follows:

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence, the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) and the NHS Modernisation Agency are responsible for improvements in quality across the NHS. Nurses are employed within these agencies to provide the frontline perspective and to influence development.

Numbers are subject to change but in December there were two nurses employed in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 35 nurses employed in the Commission for Health Improvement and 51 in the Modernisation Agency.

Haemophilia Drugs

Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many UK-resident patients over the age of 16 are being treated with rcFVIII. [22325]

Yvette Cooper [pursuant to her reply, 11 January 2002, c.1029W]: I regret that my previous reply was incorrect. It should read as follows:

The United Kingdom Haemophilia Doctors Organisation (UKHDCO) carried out a survey in 2001 which revealed that all haemophilia A patients in England under the age of 20 (43 per cent. of the total) and 6.5 per cent. of those over age 20 are receiving, or are entitled to receive, Recombinant Factor VIII. The UKHCDO estimates that the situation is likely to be similar in Northern Ireland, although no data are currently available. In Scotland and Wales, all patients are eligible to receive Recombinant Factor VIII.

10 Apr 2002 : Column 492W

Tobacco

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to further reduce tobacco use among children and adults. [42946]

Yvette Cooper: In 1988, the Government introduced a comprehensive strategy to reduce tobacco use among children and adults, 'Smoking Kills'. Key features are:

a comprehensive mass media campaign highlighting the dangers of smoking and publicising the free NHS smoking helpline (0800 169 0 169) with additional helplines for pregnant women and ethnic minorities;


specific programmes targeting manual groups, pregnant women and ethnic minorities;


projects designed to provide focused support in communities such as in prisons and hospitals;


smoking cessation services across the country;


nicotine replacement therapy and Zyban on prescription;


an enforcement protocol strengthening action against illegal sales to under 16s;


a public places charter encouraging the provision of smoke-free areas;


banning tobacco advertising and promotion. The Government have taken on Lord Clement-Jones' Private Member's Bill which completed its Third Reading in the House of Lords on 15 March; as well as


concerted action to tackle smuggling.

Specifically aimed at reducing tobacco use among young people, the Department has commissioned 'Smokescreen', a film-making initiative developed by young people for young people. The films have been shown on cable TV and a teaching pack is being produced for schools. The Government's Healthy Schools Programme also addresses the health risks posed by smoking and substance misuse.

In England, the prevalence rate in the 11 to 15 year-old age group has fallen from 13 per cent. in 1996 to 10 per cent. in 2001. In adults (aged 16+) prevalence rates fell from 28 per cent. in 1998 to 27 per cent. in 2000. The prevalence in adult manual groups in England fell from 33 per cent. in 1998 to 31 per cent. in 2000.

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