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11 Dec 2002 : Column 383W—continued

James Shepherd

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Office of Public Guardianship intends to release court documents to the family of James Shepherd. [85662]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The PGO has now, at the direction of the Court of Protection, released copies of all documents requested to date.

Speed Cameras (Cleveland)

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) trials and (b) convictions based on speed camera evidence have taken place in the Cleveland Magistrates Court Service since the speed cameras initiative was begun in 2000. [86401]

Yvette Cooper: Neither my Department nor magistrates' courts record statistics on trials and convictions relating to speed (safety) cameras. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

HEALTH

Admission Procedures

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes his Department has made to admission procedures to accident and emergency departments since 1997 through (a) statutory instrument and (b) changes to departmental guidance given to hospitals. [85771]

Mr. Lammy: Since 1997, there have been no changes made to admission procedures to accident and emergency departments through statutory instrument.

The Department has issued guidance on admission procedures to accident and emergency departments in the following documents:


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Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.

Ambulance Staff

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in the amount of time spent by ambulance crews in accident and emergency departments as a result of the requirement to hand over patient records personally to a member of the hospital staff. [85794]

Mr. Lammy: There is no absolute requirement for ambulance crews to hand over patient records personally to a member of hospital staff.

It is considered good practice for ambulance crews to provide information to nursing or medical staff when handing over a patient. While this does add to the time that the ambulance crew spend at hospital it is vital to patient safety and there is no reason why it should cause significant delays.

Area Child Protection Committees

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to put area child protection committees on a statutory footing. [86289]

Jacqui Smith: The joint chief inspectors' report, XSafeguarding Children", published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Department should review the current arrangements for area child protection committees, to determine whether they should be established on a statutory basis to ensure adequate accountability, authority and funding.

The Government have welcomed the publication of this report. The Government recognise that there is still more to be done to ensure that the high standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why they commissioned the joint chief inspectors' report. It is also why my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary, set up the statutory Inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the death of Victoria Climbie. The issues raised by Victoria's case are wide-ranging, in terms of both policy and practice. The recommendations of the joint chief inspectors' report and those of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry will provide us with an authoritative basis for any reforms to child protection that may need to be made and if radical reform is necessary, we will implement it. The Government will respond to both reports after they have carefully considered them.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements he has made to ensure that local authorities monitor the number of asylum seekers who make a claim for social services assistance

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under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 on the basis of their need for care and attention, for reasons other than their destitution; and if he will make a statement; [85817]

Jacqui Smith [holding answers 10 December 2002]: Following implementation of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, it is not anticipated that from January 2003 local councils will incur additional costs in supporting asylum seekers who make a claim for social services assistance under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948. Individual councils may monitor the number of asylum seekers claiming assistance but there is no legal requirement for them to do so.

Benefits Uprating

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral statement of 18 November on benefit uprating, what will be the entitlement of a single person receiving contributory JSA in 2002–03 and 2003–04 to free prescriptions; and what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of contributory JSA who receive free prescriptions. [82415]

Mr. Lammy [pursuant to his answer 25 November 2002, Official Report, c. 130W]: I regret my previous answer was incorrect. The final sentence should read as follows:


Carers

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that benchmarking standards for NHS trusts promote support for carers; and if he will make a statement. [84235]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 2 December 2002]: Support for carers is detailed within the Government's priorities for mental health services, as set out in the document XInvestment, Expansion and Reform the next 3 years, Priorities and Planning framework 2003–06". In addition, the national service framework for older people sets out a 10-year programme of action to ensure that older people and their carers are always treated with respect, dignity and fairness.

National health service performance ratings, which publish nationally comparable performance indicators on a wide range of NHS services, are made available to NHS trusts to help compare standards among organisations. Performance indicators are being developed to support delivery of the priorities set out in XInvestment, Expansion and Reform the next 3 years, Priorities and Planning framework 2003–06".

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Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) carers and (b) young carers of school age there are in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside and (iii) Tyne and Wear; and what support is given to (A) carers and (B) young carers of school age. [86452]

Jacqui Smith: The information on numbers of carers is not held centrally.

Carers are entitled to an assessment to determine their needs as carers and eligibility for support. The carers grant provides money for local councils to provide short breaks for carers to enable them to continue in their caring role.

Additionally for young carers we are supporting the development of over 100 projects across the country to give carers of school age access to appropriate advice, information and support or leisure.

Child Abuse

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children (a) suffered child abuse and (b) were killed in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years. [86143]

Jacqui Smith: Information on children who suffer abuse or were killed in each parliamentary constituency is not held centrally.

Information detailing the number of children on the Child Protection Register over the last five years by local authority has been placed in the Library.

Information detailing the number of children under 16-years-old, who are currently recorded as being victims of homicide, a category which covers murder, manslaughter and infanticide, over the last five years by police force areas of England and Wales, has been placed in the Library.

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