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7 Jan 2003 : Column 180W—continued
Ambulance Turnaround Times
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ambulance turnaround times were in (a) England, (b) each NHS region and (c) each ambulance trust in each of the last six years. [88072]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is not available centrally.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 999 calls for ambulances received a response within eight minutes in the last 12 months. [88744]
Mr. Lammy: The latest information available about the proportion of Category A emergency calls resulting in an ambulance arriving at the scene of the reported incident within the Government's target response times for all ambulance trusts, is contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin XAmbulance Services, England 2001–02". A copy of the bulletin is in the Library and available at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0213.htm.
Antibiotics
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the growth in resistance of staphylococcus aureus to antibiotics. [88069]
Ms Blears: The Public Health Laboratory Service has a voluntary reporting system for cases of bacteraemia (blood infection). These data are known to be incomplete but are useful for tracking long term trends and the available data on staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias with their susceptibility to methicillin are shown in the table.
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of S aureus blood isolates resistant to methicillin (MRSA) | 104 | 187 | 407 | 797 | 1,279 | 2,290 | 2,853 | 3,338 | 4,308 | 4,904 |
| Percentage(27) resistant to methicillin | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 22 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 42 | 42 |
| Number of S aureus blood isolates sensitive to methicillin | 4,215 | 4,539 | 4,300 | 4,959 | 4,556 | 5,325 | 5,433 | 5,590 | 5,897 | 6,864 |
| Percentage(27) sensitive to methicillin | 98 | 96 | 91 | 86 | 78 | 70 | 66 | 63 | 58 | 58 |
| No information on methicillin susceptibility | 730 | 1,015 | 1,253 | 831 | 1,960 | 1,763 | 1,936 | 1,896 | 1,898 | 1,316 |
| Total | 5,049 | 5,741 | 5,960 | 6,587 | 7,795 | 9,378 | 10,222 | 10,824 | 12,103 | 13,084 |
(27) As a percentage of reports with methicillin susceptibility information.
Note:
Data last updated 5 June 2002 and subject to change due to late reporting.
Source:
PHLS
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the number of new discoveries of antibiotics each year. [88073]
Mr. Lammy: The Medicines Control Agency does not monitor the number of new antibiotic discoveries that are made each year and hence is unable to provide the information requested.
Appointments
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which bodies his Department makes appointments; how many members there are (a) in total and (b) in each body; and how many of those appointed are (i) businessmen, (ii) businessmen in SMEs and (iii) businessmen in micro-businesses. [87391]
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Mr. Lammy [holding answer 16 December 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 16 December 2002, Official Report,volume. 396, column 607W.
Bed Availability (Worcestershire)
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency arrangements he has made to enable hospitals in Worcestershire to find sufficient beds in the event of (a) a major influenza epidemic, (b) a serious motorway accident and (c) a terrorist incident; and if he will make a statement. [88011]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 19 December 2002]: All primary care trusts and acute trusts have produced specific plans, which address any rise in activity across local health communities, including that potentially caused by influenza.
Both motorway and terrorist incidents have been covered in Worcestershire acute hospitals national health service trusts major incident plan. Following the events of 11 September 2001, the deputy Chief Medical Officer issued specific guidance on planning for mass casualty incidents. These plans had to include robust arrangements for mutual aid across health partners. A recent audit of the primary care trust's plan by the Department commended the arrangements in place for mass casualties.
Carers
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent measures have been introduced to support informal care by carers and other groups. [88873]
Jacqui Smith : The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 strengthens the rights of carers to an assessment of their own needs as carers, and also gives local councils more powers to directly support carers. The carers grant for 2003–04 will be increased to #100 million to ensure that more carers are able to receive breaks. One of the major changes to this grant is that the proportion to be spent on carers services will increase from 10 per cent, to 16 per cent. From October 2002, the Department of Work and Pensions has extended the invalid care allowance to carers over 65.
Chefs Initiative
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes to catering in acute hospitals resulted from the leading chef initiative; how many recipes developed by leading chefs for the NHS are used in the NHS; and how many hospitals use menus resulting from the leading chefs initiative. [88747]
Mr. Lammy: Leading chef dishes promote freshness and taste in hospitals meals and have encouraged the use of higher quality ingredients
There are currently 201 leading chef dishes available for use in the National Health Service.
Details regarding which of these dishes are currently in use is not collected.
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The latest information available, at June 2002, shows that 40 per cent, of acute hospitals had included three leading chef dishes in their menus.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on the leading chefs initiative. [88761]
Mr. Lammy: The leading chef dishes promote the use of fresher ingredients and reflect changes in tastes and lifestyles. Exact costs of leading chef dishes vary across the national health service, depending on locality and the methods of production.
Information on the use of these dishes is not collected but average dish costs are no greater than that for other NHS dishes.
Child Abuse
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask for an urgent meeting with the Home Office regarding child protection to discuss implications of the Newham Area Child Protection Committee Report on the Ainlee Walker case. [89357]
Jacqui Smith: The Government recognise that there is still more to be done to ensure that high standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why it commissioned XSafeguarding Children", the Joint Chief Inspectors' report on arrangements to safeguard children. It is also why my right hon. Friend 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 Climbié. 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 Climbié 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. In considering these reports, the Government will also consider all relevant recommendations in the Ainlee Walker/Labonte Serious Case Review report and those arising from any other serious case review reports that may be published in the near future.
Children's Vision
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend entitlement to NHS vouchers to children who are prescribed coloured spectacle lenses without a power for the purpose of enabling them to read. [88579]
Mr. Lammy: There is currently limited evidence to suggest that the provision of tinted lenses would provide enduring benefits to a significant number of children with reading difficulties, though some children may benefit. We will, however, continue to consider the issue as evidence becomes available and any decision will be taken in collaboration with the Department for Education and Skills.
Children in Care
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children in care have been listed as missing since 1997. [88187]
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Jacqui Smith: Information about the proportion of children in care listed as missing is shown in the table.
| Number of children missing at any time during the year | Percentage of all children looked after at any time during the year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 570 | 0.7 |
| 1998–99 | 550 | 0.7 |
| 1999–2000 | 530 | 0.6 |
| 2000–01(28) | 920 | 1.1 |
(28) With effect from 1 April 2000, the definition of missing was changed from being absent for more than seven days to being absent for 24 hours or more.
Note:
Table excludes all children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in local authority voluntary agency care were adopted in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002; and what percentage these represent of the total in care. [88607]
Jacqui Smith: The numbers of children adopted from local authority care in England in years ending 31 March 2000, 2001 and 2002 are shown in the table.
Information on the number of children adopted from voluntary agency care is not collected centrally. However, the actual figure is likely to be very small, as voluntary adoption agencies only place children voluntarily relinquished by their birth family to their care for the purposes of adoption.
| Children adopted from local authority care in England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage(29) | |
| 2000 | 2,700 | 5 |
| 2001 | 3,100 | 5 |
| 2002 | 3,400 | 6 |
(29) Of all looked after children
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in (a) local authority and (b) voluntary agency care were awaiting foster homes on 31 March in (i) 1979, (ii) 1987, (iii) 1997 and (iv) 2002. [88608]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested regarding numbers of children in local authority and voluntary agency care awaiting foster homes on 31 March 1979, 1987, 1997 and 2002 is not held centrally.
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