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19 Sept 2002 : Column 346W—continued
Sport
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement about funding that his Department makes available for sports projects which improve public health; [72237]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the role of sport and physical recreation within plans to improve public health; [72238]
(3) what guidance is available to primary care trusts on developing partnerships with sport and recreation bodies; and if he will encourage the formation of such partnerships. [72236]
Ms Blears: Increasing participation in sport and physical recreation has an important role to play in raising the rates of physical activity and improving public health. The importance of physical activity is recognised in the NHS Plan and national service frameworks. The national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease (CHD) requires the National Health Service, working closely with local authorities, to develop local programmes of effective policies on increasing physical activity.
The Health Development Agency has issued guidance to support the preventive aspects of the NSF for CHD. The document contained examples of effective interventions and set out who should be involved in the development of these programmes, including sport and leisure partners. Last year, we also published a national quality assurance framework for exercise referral systems. These schemes rely on close liaison and partnership working between health and leisure professionals.
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We recently announced the launch of a new £2.5 million programme on exercise, which is being developed with Sport England and the Countryside Agency. The work forms part of a partnership between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Health. The money will be used to set up nine pilots, based in neighbourhood renewal areas, which will test out different community approaches, including sports and active recreation projects, to increasing physical activity.
Mount Vernon Hospital
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to improve the provision of services at Mount Vernon Hospital. [48906]
Mr. Hutton: The Hillingdon Hospital National Health Service Trust has invested £200,000 in ward staff since assuming responsibility for services at Mount Vernon in 1999.
The Trust has employed additional registered medical officers to ensure 24-hour cover. Additional nursing staff have been recruited. A dedicated urology staff grade nurse works at Mount Vernon holding additional clinics and operating lists weekly. The trust has appointed an additional orthopaedic surgeon and a general surgeon during the last year to work mainly on the Mount Vernon site. All Hillingdon surgical and orthopaedic consultants have an outpatient session and at least one operating session at Mount Vernon.
The trust has invested £120,000 in a laminar air-flow system for the orthopaedic theatre to minimise the risk of infection and has invested £100,000 in new instrumentation.
Two additional linacs are to be commissioned at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in July 2002, and one replacement and two additional linacs are planned over the next two to three years. Two linacs commissioned this year will cost in the region of £1.67 million, excluding accommodation costs. The three further linacs will cost approximately £3 million again excluding accommodation costs. Further investment is planned to maintain the fabric of the building and for equipment replacement as it reaches the end of useful life.
Rehabilitation
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rehabilitation services are offered to former coalminers and steelworkers in South Yorkshire. [56936]
Jacqui Smith: Due to the prevalence of respiratory and other industrial related diseases in the South Yorkshire population, local health services have increased contact with such diseases. Practitioners therefore have a heightened awareness of the symptoms of such diseases and are able to treat and refer to specialist care where appropriate.
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the Committee on the action programme on rare diseases in the framework of the action plan for public health is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the United Kingdom
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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. [57472]
Ms Blears: The Programme of Community Action on Rare Diseases was set up in accordance with Article 5(2) of Decision 1295–1299/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 1999.
The aim of the programme is to contribute, in coordination with other community measures, towards ensuring a high level of health protection in relation to rare diseases by improving knowledge, for example by promoting the setting-up of a coherent and complementary European information network on rare diseases, and facilitating access to information about these diseases, in particular for health professionals, researchers and those affected directly or indirectly by these diseases, by encouraging and strengthening transnational cooperation between voluntary and professional support groups for those concerned, and by ensuring optimimum handling of clusters and by promoting the surveillance of rare diseases.
The Committee consists of two representatives from each Member State, although both do not always attend. The Committee is chaired by the Commission. The Committee is required to deliver its opinion on draft measures submitted to it by the Commission.
The Committee has met twice in the last 12 months.
Costs to public funds were minimal, meetings last one day, the commission pay the travel costs of nominated representatives, UK Departments are required to pay subsistence and UK travel costs.
Details about the Committee, the programme and funded projects can be found on Europa, the EU on-line website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/index en.html
Together with Member States, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
"simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Decision to set up a network for
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the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the United Kingdom 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. [57473]
Ms Blears: The Committee for the European Network for the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases was set up in accordance with Article 7 of Decision 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up the Network, for the purposes of implementing the Decision.
The Committee consists of two representatives from each Member State: one representing the competent public health authority and the other the national body with responsibility for surveillance of communicable diseases. For the UK, this comprises representatives from the Department of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre. The Committee is chaired by the Commission. The Committee is required to deliver its opinion on draft measures submitted to it by the Commission.
The Committee has met four times in the last 12 months.
Costs to public funds were minimal, meetings last one day, the commission pay the travel costs of nominated representatives, UK Departments are required to pay subsistence and UK travel costs.
Together with Member States, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
"simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
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