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19 Sept 2002 : Column 359W—continued
Care Standards Act
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions of the Care Stadards Act 2000 have come into force; and when the other parts will come into force. [69421]
Jacqui Smith: The majority of the Care Standards Act has already come into force. The details are set out in The Care Standards Act 2000 (Commencement No. 15 (England) and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Order 2002 (SI 2002 No. 1790 (C.55)).
The main provisions which have yet to come into force are those in Part VII of the Act which place a duty on my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to keep a list of
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individuals who are considered to be unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults. This is due to be brought into force in January 2003.
Certain provisions in Part IV of the Act concerning the registration and training of social workers have yet to come into force. They are due to come into force before 1 April 2003.
There are also provisions in the Act to extend certain provisions to other services and establishments. These will only be activated when it is considered to be appropriate and there is no fixed timescale for bringing them into force.
Housing Tsar
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many low-cost housing units for nurses in London have been found by the Department's housing tsar; and how many are now occupied by nurses. [68160]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 11 July 2002]: The National Health Service housing co-ordinator was appointed by NHS Estates in April 2000. He has a target of facilitating access to an additional 2,000 units of affordable accommodation for nurses in London by July 2003 either by directly contracting or assisting NHS trusts in negotiations. The current position is that agreements have been reached for 1997 additional units. Of this figure, 1051 are available but 389 units have only recently been opened and occupancy is being built up.
The Department's housing co-ordinator has also been directly involved in negotiating 50 per cent. of the total starter home initiative budget allocation. This should enable approximately 5,000 staff NHS staff to gain a foothold on the property ladder by 2004. Assistance is in the form of equity loans, interest free loans and shared ownership.
[This information is correct as at Friday 2 August 2002]
Primary Care Trusts
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are issued to primary care trusts about the employment of officers responsible for establishing PFI initiatives. [70049]
Mr. Hutton: The Department issued guidance in 1999 under "Public Private Partnerships in the National Health Service: The Private Finance Initiative—Good Practice". This contains specific instructions for all National Health Service trusts for appointing a project director, his team and their roles and responsibilities.
Pesticides
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is the aim of his Department to encourage ways of improving the use of pesticides to minimise residues to the extent that they are not detectable at the point of sale. [70141]
Ms Blears: The Department have consulted the Food Standards Agency which has provided the following response.
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The Agency acknowledges that consumers want food which contains a minimum of pesticide residues even though the authorisation system sets limits for residues in food which protect human health. The Agency is currently drawing up an action plan with the aim of encouraging ways of improving the use of pesticides to minimise residues.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answers of 25 April 2002 and 4 July 2002, Official Report, columns 461W and 571W, if he will reconcile the statement that his Department does not collect statistics on the incidence of individual conditions with the statement that his Department collects and uses a wide range of data on morbidity according to the condition of interest and the context of the question to be answered; and if he will collect statistics on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [70396]
Jacqui Smith: As the response to my hon. Friend on 4 July, Official Report, column 571W states, we do have information on a wide range of conditions, in particular for deaths and hospital admissions which are coded accorded to the international classification of diseases in line with practice in other countries. These can answer many questions, but where there is not a specific code for the condition this is not possible. In the case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy this is included within an overall code for muscular dystrophy and is therefore not separately identifiable. We have no plans for collecting separate data in this area.
Devolution
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the EU Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on pollution-related diseases in the framework of the action plan for public health is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [70603]
Ms Blears: The European Commission has not yet notified members of the European Union Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on pollution-related diseases of the date of the next meeting.
It is the role of Departmental officials to represent the whole of the United Kingdom at this committee. In framing of all EU policy, the Department consults fully with all the devolved authorities, including the Scottish Executive, to ensure that such representation reflects all parts of the UK.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the EU Committee for the implementation of the Community action plan to combat cancer is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [70566]
Ms Blears: The extended Europe against cancer (EAC) programme will come to an end on 31 December 2002. The programme has a management committee made up of representatives from each Member State and it is for the United Kingdom to decide on who to delegate to represent the UK. The Scottish Executive are regularly
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consulted on, and is involved in discussions, at official and Ministerial level, with the Department on the formulation of European Union policy which touch on matters which fall within its the responsibilities. Following the successful outcome of the recent conciliation exercise, a new EU public health action programme will start in 2003.
0870 Numbers
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2002, Official Report, column 1205W, for what types of purposes 0870 numbers are used; and what level of payment is judged to be suitable. [71128]
Mr. Lammy: The Department manages one 0870 line, this being the NHS Responseline. This line was introduced by the NHS Executive in April 1997 to provide a service to the National Health Service to call and place orders for delivery of Departmental publications within 48 hours.
This line is charged at the national standard call rates set by Cable and Wireless.
Ambulance Services
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which ambulance trusts train their ambulance staff in obstetrics and gynaecological care. [70729]
Mr. Lammy: Qualified emergency ambulance staff in every ambulance trust are trained to a national curriculum and operate to national clinical guidelines that include the management of obstetric and gynaecological care.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to introduce the provision of stab- and bullet-proof vests to ambulance services outside London. [71080]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 18 July 2002]: There are no national plans to introduce the provision of light-weight anti-stab vests or bullet-proof vests for frontline ambulance personnel. The use of anti-stab vests or bullet-proof vests is something local managers in ambulance trusts need to consider after undertaking a thorough assessment of the risk faced by their staff, and the need for this type of protective wear.
The London Ambulance National Health Service Trust has recently piloted the use of anti-stab vests at two ambulance stations. The evaluation of the pilots was positive, and this information is being shared with all other NHS ambulance trusts.
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths resulted from the failure of ambulances to arrive at their destinations on 17 and 18 July (a) this year and (b) 2001. [73026]
Mr. Lammy: This information is not collected.
All ambulance services will always reach the scene of an emergency call, although different traffic conditions will have an impact on the response time.
Priority Setting
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 July 2002, ref. 68313, how
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many priorities were set in the 2002–03 planning and priorities framework; and how many were set in 2001–02. [71594]
Mr. Lammy: There were three major priorities set for the National Health Service in the 2002–03 Planning and Priorities Framework. They were:
delivering emergency services when and where they are needed;
reducing waiting times and delays throughout the system; and
improving quality of service and outcomes in clinical priority areas of cancer, heart disease, mental health and services for older people.
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