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16 Jan 2003 : Column 799W—continued
Waste Recycling
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department has allocated for waste recycling projects undertaken by (a) local authorities, (b) non-profit making organisations and (c) industry in financial years (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [90451]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 13 January 2003]: My Department has allocated #7 million for financial year 2002–03 and #7.7 million for 2003–04. The majority of this is industrially linked R&D support, particularly through the Department's contribution to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). DTI has not allocated specific budgets to local authority or non-profit making organisation projects.
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HEALTH
Consultants
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants on the register of the General Medical Council are over 60, broken down by nation and region; and what the figures were in each of the last five years. [90758]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 14 January 2003]: The General Medical Council (GMC) holds limited, but not historical, information. According to the GMC, as of 13 January 2003, there were 43,375 doctors in the United Kingdom on the GMC Register who were also on the specialist register. Of these 4,758 were aged 60 or over.
Diabetes
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are suffering from diabetes in each health authority in the UK. [90038]
Mr. Lammy : I regret that this information is not available in the format requested. However, an estimated 1.3 million people in England have diagnosed diabetes. A population of 100,000 would be expected to include between 2,000 and 3,000 people with diabetes.
Accident and Emergency Departments
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what evidence he has collated on the effect that changing the name of hospital accident and emergency departments will have on the frequency that they are used; and if he will publish it; [91209]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the Dott plan to rename accident and emergency departments in hospitals; and to what he proposes to change their name; [91206]
(3) what estimate he has made of the cost of renaming hospital accident and emergency departments. [91208]
Mr. Lammy: The Department of Health has no plans to change the name of accident and emergency departments and has therefore made no estimate of the costs or effect of doing so. We understand the British association of accident and emergency medicine (BAEM) and faculty of accident and emergency medicine (FAEM) are balloting their members on a proposal to change the name of the specialty to emergency medicine. We will consider the views of the BAEM and FAEM when they have reported them to the Department.
Drug Addicts
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered drug addicts there were in the (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) London borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [88830]
Mr. Hutton: Following the closure of the Home Office Addicts Index in 1997, the regional drug misuse databases were the main source of information on persons presenting to drug treatment services with a
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drug problem. Information is available by health authority and regional office area and is shown in the following table:
| Six month period ending | Kingston and Richmond health authority | London regional office area |
|---|---|---|
| September 1995 | 207 | 5,727 |
| March 1996 | 201 | 5,867 |
| September 1996 | 235 | 5,690 |
| March 1997 | 219 | 5,684 |
| September 1997 | 143 | 4,057 |
| March 1998 | 137 | 4,292 |
| September 1998 | 157 | 6,564 |
| March 1999 | 164 | 5,748 |
| September 1999 | 195 | 6,294 |
| March 2000 | 244 | 6,713 |
| September 2000 | 225 | 6,626 |
| March 2001 | 247 | 6,730 |
Notes:
1. Reporting to the Regional Drug Misuse Databases was voluntary; changes in numbers of users presenting may, at least in part, be due to changes in reporting practice.
2. Following NHS reorganisation in 2002, Kingston and Richmond health authority became part of the South West London Strategic Health Authority.
Source:
The Department of Health series of Statistical Bulletins XStatistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases. Bulletins for the six months ending March 1998 onwards are available on the internet at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/work public health.htm
Drug Rehabilitation
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug rehabilitation places are available to registered drug addicts in the (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London; how many registered drug addicts in the (i) Twickenham constituency, (ii) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (iii) London are receiving (A) rehabilitation and (B) other forms of drug treatment; and if he will make a statement. [88829]
Mr. Hutton: Information is not available in the form requested. In the case of residential rehabilitation, places are often purchased at a residential centre that may be outside the drug misusers area of residence. In practice some local authority social services departments agree to fund long distance placements with the agreement of the drug misusers so he/she can be removed from the area where they are involved in drug using. This means that in theory all of the approximately 3,100 residential rehabilitation places for drug and alcohol misusers in England are available to drug misusers resident in Twickenham and other parts of London. However, purchasing decisions are a matter for agreement between the drug misusers and the local agencies.
A one off exercise was carried out to estimate the number of drug users in England in contact with drug treatment agencies in 2000–01. Around of 27,400 individuals were reported to be in contact with drug treatment agencies in London; of these, 142 were reported as being in treatment at community specialist services in the London Borough of Richmond upon
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Thames. A statistical bulletin XStatistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases on drug misusers in treatment in England, 2000/01" was published in December 2001, and is available on the Department of Health website at, http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0133.htm
Foundation Trusts
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how frequently an NHS foundation trust will be required to review its constitution. [91106]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to legislation, the constitution of a national health service foundation trust will be set on establishment. There will be no requirement on NHS foundation trusts to review the constitution.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how representatives from the employee membership will be elected to the board of governors of a foundation trust; whether there will be provision for different grades of staff to be represented; and what role staff trade unions will play in the process. [91107]
Mr. Hutton: It will be up to national health service foundation trusts, and NHS foundation trust applicants, to arrange elections to suite local circumstances and ensure a proper balance on the Board of Governors as set out in paragraphs 2.25–2.28 of XA Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts".
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the possibility of all employees of a foundation trust being given automatic membership of the trust; and for what reasons he has decided that employees must register for membership. [91108]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not received any representations on this issue. Subject to legislation, all employees, defined as people who have a permanent contract, or a fixed term contract longer than 12 months, will be eligible to become members if they choose as set out in paragraphs 2.6–2.10 of XA Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts". It will be up to individual national health service foundation trusts to decide whether they want staff membership to be automatic.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an employee of a foundation trust who is a registered member of the trust will be able to retain membership rights after leaving the trust's employment. [91109]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to legislation, membership will be open to employees after leaving the national health service foundation trust's employment if they meet the eligibility criteria set by the NHS foundation trust in line with paragraphs 2.6–2.9 of XA Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts".
Free Health Checks
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of restoring free (a) dental and (b) eye examinations to (i) all adults, (ii) those over 65, (iii) those over 60 and (iv) those over 55; and if he will make a statement. [89555]
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Mr. Lammy: About a quarter of dental examinations carried out on adults in the general dental service have either no patient charge, or else the patient pays a reduced charge. It is estimated that making dental examinations free to adults would reduce patient charge revenue in England by:
| Adults | Reduction in patient charge revenue at 2002–03 charge rates in # million |
|---|---|
| Age 18 and over | 87 |
| Age 65 and over | 15 |
| Age 60 and over | 22 |
| Age 55 and over | 30 |
Additional costs would arise if there were any associated increase in the overall number of dental examinations and national health service dental treatments.
In April 1999 we made everyone aged 60 and over eligible for a free NHS sight test. Children, people on low incomes and those suffering from or predisposed to eye disease are also eligible. Our estimates of the costs per annum of extending eligibility further are:
| Adults | Additional costs per annum in # million |
|---|---|
| Age 18 and over | 80 |
| Age 55 and over | 15 |
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