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Refurbishment

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 58W, regarding the cost of refurbishing ministerial private offices, what has been the total cost of the work associated with the relocation of buildings for operational purposes over the last four years. [50549]

Mr. Leslie: I assume the hon. Member refers to my answer of 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1499W.

As I stated with that answer, separately identifying work undertaken on Minister's private offices could be answered only at disproportionate cost.

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HEALTH

Fireworks

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many firework-related injuries were treated in hospitals in the UK during the Christmas and new year period. [39894]

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the response I gave him on 26 February 2002, Official Report, column 1067W.

Clinicians

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has received from (a) the Royal College of Obstetricians and (b) the Royal College of Paediatricians on the annual numbers of patients per clinician which they consider to be necessary in order to ensure the safety and efficiency of treatment. [41406]

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not received any advice from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists or the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health specifying the numbers of patients a clinician needs to see to ensure the safety and efficiency of treatment.

Autism

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with regard to the Brent Taylor report on MMR/autism, (a) what type of study was undertaken and for what purpose, (b) how many children were included in the study, (c) if the study was for case-series analysis method, (d) what its findings were on levels of autism and (e) if the raw data collected will be published. [43604]

Yvette Cooper: The third population study that has recently been reported by Taylor et al ¹ involved a review of patients clinical notes linked to independent computerised vaccination records (record-linkage). The key objective of this research was to investigate whether there was any evidence of a 'new variant' form of autism caused or triggered by MMR and associated with bowel problems.

This study examined approximately 500 children with childhood (278) or atypical (195) autism born between 1979 and 1998 in five health districts in north-east London. Of these children, 25 per cent. were reported to have regression and 17 per cent. to have had bowel problems. There was no significant difference in the rates of bowel problems or regression in those who had had MMR vaccine before onset of problems, after onset or who had never had the vaccine. In addition the proportion of autistic children with regression or bowel problems did not change significantly over the period from 1979–98, which included the introduction of MMR in 1988. This study found no evidence to support a 'new variant' form of autism, where MMR vaccination is associated with developmental regression and bowel problems.

¹ Taylor B., Miller E., Lingam R., Andrews N., Simmons A., Stowe J. Measles, mumps and rubella vaccination and bowel problems or developmental regression in children with autism: population study. BMJ 2002, 324;393–6.

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Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the number of cases of autism in East Surrey; and if he will make a statement. [53249]

Ms Blears [holding answer 29 April 2002]: None. Local statutory authorities are responsible for ensuring that they have sufficient knowledge of local needs and priorities to inform the pattern of services in their area.

Golden Jubilee

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what precautions (a) local hospitals and (b) emergency management services are planning to take in preparation for the crowds anticipated during the weekend of the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and if he will make a statement. [44596]

Ms Blears: Planning for big events, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee, is co-ordinated by the local police forces built upon tried and tested procedures. There are established major incident procedures and cross border support mechanisms. All hospitals and ambulance services have major incident plans.

The main celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee are being held in London. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has an operational and safety planning group, which includes emergency services and health representatives, to oversee the safety and health aspects of the events in the Royal parks, the City of London and the processional route to St. Paul's Cathedral.

The intention is to use systems that are tried and tested in London at events such as the Notting Hill Carnival and the VE Day Anniversary Celebrations. These systems are designed to treat as many casualties as possible at the event sites using first aid posts or advance treatment centres which will be staffed by doctors, nurses and first aiders. This will reduce vehicle movements around the events and reduce potential pressure on accident and emergency departments.

Medical Training Costs

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average gross cost was of training post age 18 for (a) general practitioners, (b) hospital doctors and (c) nurses. [44283]

Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Halton (Derek Twigg) on Tuesday 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 642W.

Training costs for general practitioners are the same as those for doctors.

Cancer Plan

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards establishing a lead clinician for cancer within each PCT as identified in the Cancer Plan. [45770]

Yvette Cooper: In 2001–02 the Department allocated £2 million in the first year of a three year programme. By March 2002, 323 primary care lead clinicians for cancer had been appointed. A full programme of support and

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development for all the primary care lead clinicians for cancer, is being funded and managed by Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Nurses

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses working for the NHS are on work permits. [46182]

Mr. Hutton: The Department of Health national health service hospital and community health services non- medical workforce census for England showed that there were 330,353 qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in the NHS at 30 September 2001.

Information on the number of nurses working for the NHS on work permits is not collected centrally, but may be available from local NHS employers.

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Operation Cancellations (Lancashire)

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been cancelled by the NHS in Lancashire within one month of the supposed date of the operation in each year since 1997. [48599]

Jacqui Smith: The available information is shown in the table.

We recognise and fully understand the distress that cancellations can cause for patients and their families. This is reflected by the fact that from the end of this month, any patient who has their operation cancelled by the hospital on the day it is due to happen will be guaranteed treatment within 28 days, or else the hospital will have to fund their treatment at the time and place of their choice.

The NHS is carrying out more operations than ever before—up by more than half a million between 1996–97 and 2000–01. But cancellations are a long term problem which can only be resolved through the investment and reform that is now taking place in the NHS.

	East Lancashire		Morecambe Bay		North-west Lancashire		South Lancashire
Year/quarter	(1)	(2)	(1)	(2)	(1)	(2)	(1)	(2)
2001–02
3	200	27	195	30	139	0	99	0
2	166	16	162	43	178	0	89	0
1	176	11	192	34	218	1	91	0
2000–01
4	145	17	310	81	264	0	129	0
3	161	10	249	29	88	1	91	1
2	126	9	142	13	72	6	91	0
1	147	13	102	12	68	10	115	1
1999–2000
4	127	7	127	35	183	12	23	0
3	123	19	50	9	250	19	13	0
2	97	14	61	8	59	0	29	0
1	90	5	71	8	91	0	37	0
1998–99
4	99	8	32	2	98	0	34	5
3	122	11	32	4	117	0	19	0
2	124	13	46	10	86	9	15	0
1	111	8	44	2	79	6	31	0
1997–98
4	130	15	47	2	163	0	18	0
3	99	8	28	3	120	0	25	1
2	70	3	32	3	94	0	26	1
1	52	3	28	0	101	0	20	0

Notes:

1. Number of last minute cancellations for non-clinical reasons in the quarter

2. Number of patients not admitted within one month of last minute cancellation.

Source:

Department of Health forms QMNG and QMPC

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