House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Jul 2002 (pt 33)

Mental Health

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inmates in British prisons were suffering from (a) severe and (b) other mental illness on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many there were in each of the previous six years. [67704]

Jacqui Smith: This information is not available in the form requested.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health crisis resolution teams have all five required characteristics. [68133]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The numbers and configuration of crisis resolution teams are being monitored by the mental health mapping project. Data from autumn 2001 have recently become available. Copies of a mental health mapping atlas, which contains this information, have been deposited in the Library.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health crisis resolution teams provide a 24 hour service; and what proportion they represent of the total number of each team. [68132]

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers have met Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss ways of helping those with mental health problems to find work. [68150]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 February 2002, Official Report, column 941W.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much extra money for child and adolescent mental health services is allocated for 2002–03 and each of the next three years. [68162]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2002]: In 2002–03 we are investing a further £20 million in funding to local authorities via the child and adolescent mental health services mental health grant. This represents an increase of £5 million over the funding allocated in 2001–02. No decisions have been made on funding for the next three years.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent reports he has received concerning the involvement of churches in working with health and social services to promote mental health; and if he will make a statement as to his assessment of the effectiveness of such involvement. [68104]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The Department has received no reports recently concerning involvement of churches in working with health and social services to promote mental health.

I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 679W, on the role of the church and mental health.

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Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health assertive outreach teams have all seven required characteristics. [68131]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The numbers and configuration of assertive outreach teams are being monitored by the mental health mapping project. Data from autumn 2001 have recently become available. Copies of a mental health mapping atlas, which contains this information, have been deposited in the Library.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many crisis resolution teams for mental health there are in (a) Worcestershire, (b) County Durham and (c) Darlington. [68134]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2002]: There are currently no crisis resolution teams operating in Worcestershire, County Durham or Darlington.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of assertive outreach teams provide a 24 hour on-call service available to service users known to the team. [68130]

Hospital Trust Boards

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his policy is on the (a) minimum and (b) maximum age requirement for appointment as members of hospital trust boards; [69354]

Mr. Lammy [holding answers 12 July 2002]: There is no minimum or maximum age for chairs or non-executive members of national health service boards. Candidates are appointed on their merits, and their age is not taken into account.

Medical/Dental Education

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental education programmes in Scotland include infection control and anti-microbial prescribing. [61318]

Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 13 June 2002]: I have been asked to reply.

Both the Government and the Scottish Executive want to see good training in this area. On 25 June this year, the Executive made available £100,000 to promote and enhance undergraduate teaching in Scottish Medical Schools of issues relating to anti-microbial resistance.

Child Care

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is given to parents to help with child care costs. [68255]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

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Working parents, subject to the level of their income, may receive support through the child care tax credit element of the working families tax credit or the disabled person's tax credit for eligible child care costs. This offers help with up to 70 per cent. of costs up to £135 a week for one child or £200 a week for two or more children. Support is also available through various grants and access funds for parents studying further and higher education, for participants on the New Deals and those receiving job seekers allowance.

Students in higher education in England may be entitled to the HE child care grant, which provides—during term time and short vacations—an 85 per cent. contribution towards the costs of 'approved' care up to a maximum of £135 per week for one child and £200 per week for two or more children. In the long vacation a 70 per cent. rate applies. Students in further education can apply to colleges for funding from a ring fenced national FE child care support fund of £30 million in 2001–02. £25 million was available in 2000–01.

Lone parents participating in the New Deal for lone parents programme, can receive assistance with the costs of registered child care while attending job interviews, approved training or meetings with their personal adviser.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated for the National Childcare Strategy; and what measures there are to monitor spending. [68253]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

Since 1998, £498 million has been allocated to Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCPs) under the NCS. The bulk of the funding is paid quarterly in arrears, based on claims submitted by the relevant local authorities for expenditure in line with their approved plans.

Payments are offset against the funds allocated to each Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP) and expenditure is monitored against the relevant targets in their agreed plans.

NCS questions for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should be taken up with the appropriate assembly.

National Service Framework for Older People

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available to support (a) the National Service Framework for Older People and (b) the provision of chiropody services within the National Service Framework for Older People in the current financial year. [69406]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 July 2002]: By 2003–04, an extra £1.4 billion is being made available for the overall development of health and social services for older people, including resources to support the introduction of the national service framework for older people, which includes actions for the development of chiropody services.

The Government are making the biggest ever investment in the history of the national health service. There will be an annual average increase of 7.5 per cent. above inflation over the next five years 2003–04 to

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2007–08. This is now the largest ever sustained increase in NHS funding and older people—the biggest users of the NHS, will be among the principal beneficiaries.

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