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Dementia (Closure of Facilities)

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the closure of long-stay beds for dementia patients. [56582]

Jacqui Smith: The national service framework for older people, published in March 2001, sets out the Government's strategy to ensure fair, high quality integrated health and social care services for older people. This covers services for people with dementia. An adequate supply of long-term care beds needs to be available for those people with dementia for whom this is the appropriate form of care.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on (a) the NHS long-stay provision for severely demented patients in North Hertfordshire and (b) the closure of beds at Elizabeth Court and Victoria Court; [56580]

(2) what his assessment is of the effect on delayed discharges at the Lister Hospital Stevenage of the closure of NHS long-stay beds for patients with dementia at Elizabeth Court and Victoria Court. [56581]

Yvette Cooper: Hertfordshire County Council are in discussion with local primary care trusts and Bedfordshire and Luton Community National Health Service Trust on their proposals for the long term care of patients suffering with dementia.

Alzheimer's Disease (Memory Test)

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on demand for NHS long-stay provision in respect of Alzheimer's disease if the Cantab Paired Associates memory test for Alzheimer's disease were more widely used; [56578]

(2) what assessment he has made of the Cantab Paired Associates memory test for Alzheimer's disease; and if he will make a statement as to what guidance his Department has issued as to the use of this test. [56575]

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not assessed the effectiveness or the implications on demand for NHS long-stay provision of the Cantab Paired Associates memory test.

Consideration is being given to the inclusion of a clinical guideline on the management of dementia within the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's programme of work. Such a guideline would cover diagnosis of dementia, including memory tests.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the appraisal by NICE of the Cantab Paired Associates memory test for Alzheimer's disease; and if he will make a statement. [56577]

Yvette Cooper: The Cantab Paired Associates memory test for Alzheimer's disease is not currently on the NICE work programme.

Consideration is being given to the inclusion of a clinical guideline on the management of dementia within the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's programme of work. Such a guideline would cover diagnosis of dementia, including memory tests.

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Committee Mandates

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the committee of senior officials on public health is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56753]

Yvette Cooper: The committee of senior officials on public health (CSOPH) was established in 1975 by European Council Decision 75/365/EEC, as a result of the adoption of the directives relating to medical training. Its mandate is set down in Article 2, which states that the task of the Committee shall be:

to identify and analyse any difficulties which might arise from the implementation of Directives 75/362/EEC and 75/363/EEC (now Directive 93/16/EC);
to collect all relevant information on the conditions under which general and specialist medical care is given by doctors in the Member States;
to deliver opinions which could guide the Commission's work with a view to amendment of the above mentioned Directives.

CSOPH's remit was extended by later Decisions to take in the same tasks for:

Nurses responsible for general care;
Midwives; and
Dentists.

The Committee is made up of senior officials with responsibility for national health care systems. Each member state is entitled to nominate one representative and one alternate. The UK representative and his alternate represent the Department of Health.

CSOPH meets twice each year, in July and December. Meetings last one day. Costs to public funds are minimal. The Commission pays the travel costs of the nominated representative but member states meet the costs if it is necessary for the alternate to attend as well.

In carrying out its duties, CSOPH is advised by a group of training advisory committees (TACs) made up of representatives from the relevant professional bodies.

Items on CSOPH's agenda vary, but typically include:

Problems relating to particular groups or individuals affected by the directives;
Information on events of major importance that have occurred in each member state affecting the application of the directives;
Medical demography; and
Discussions about necessary updates to the directives (for instance CSOPH is empowered to make certain decisions relating to training for medical specialisms).

Member States are currently considering Commission proposals for streamlining the directives and processes relating to free movement of professionals. The issues arising from the Commission's proposals for the future of professional recognition were submitted to the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees (Explanatory Memorandum No. 7239/92—COM(2002)119final) in April 2002.

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CAT Scanners

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many CAT scanners there are in London. [56946]

Yvette Cooper: There are currently approximately 60 Computed Tomography (CT) scanners installed in the national health service in the London region.

Under a central modernisation programme, funding has been made available to ensure that no CT scanner used in the diagnosis of cancer will be more than 10 years old by 2004. This programme will allow the replacement of 19 CT scanners in London, of which 14 have already been delivered.

Nursing Homes and Care Homes

Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to help residents of care and nursing homes who pay their own fees from civil service pensions cope with the increases to their fees above inflation. [57137]

Jacqui Smith: If self-funding residents of care homes have insufficient income to pay their own fees they may approach their local authority for advice and possible financial assistance. In considering whether or not to provide financial support, and the extent of that support, local authorities should refer to the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes of national insurance contribution on the care home sector; and what estimates he has made of the increased costs to care homes following the increase in national insurance contributions by (a) employers and (b) employees. [57181]

Jacqui Smith: It is estimated that the changes to employers and employees' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will increase pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent. next year.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the success of the long-term relationship between social services and the independent care home sector following the launch of the (a) concordat, (b) building capacity, (c) joint funding and (d) change agent arrangement initiatives; and if he will make a statement. [57189]

Jacqui Smith: Our long-term care policy has led to more constructive partnerships between social services and the independent health and social care sectors. This is already bringing about better outcomes for patients and service users by delivering speedier and more flexible services to individuals, positively using the plurality of providers within our system. This is true for short-term services such as intermediate care as well as residential and nursing care. We are supporting these changes in many ways, including a substantial increase in the funding for personal social services and additional money and assistance through the change agents team-working with individual councils.

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on (a) local authorities and (b) other care home owners imposing charges on residents for services which were intended to be free of charge under the Health and Social Care Act 2001. [58029]

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Jacqui Smith: From 1 October 2001, the national health service has taken on responsibility for the funding of care from a registered nurse for all care home residents who, prior to that, paid for all or part of that care.

From 1 April 2003, the NHS, rather than local authorities, will become responsible for funding the care from a registered nurse for residents who are currently supported by local authorities.

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