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21 Jan 2003 : Column 275W—continued

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programmes

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided to support research into (a) drug treatment programmes and (b) alcohol harm reduction programmes in each of the last five years. [90633]

Ms Blears: Details of the amount spent by the Department on research into drug treatment over the last five years are shown in the table.

YearAmount (£)
1998176,502
1999201,333
2000527,803
2001866,982
2002(30)379,065

(30) Estimate

Details of the amount spent on research on average, into alcohol harm reduction in each of the last five years are shown in the table.

YearAmount (£)
1998–99Nil
1999–200040,000
2000–0168,000
2001–0271,410
2002–0373,770

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided to support (a) alcohol abuse treatment programmes and (b) drug treatment programmes in each of the last five years. [90634]

Ms Blears: All funding for alcohol treatment services and all funding for drug treatment services until 2001–02 was drawn from the mainstream budgets of the national health service and local authorities. The amounts spent on treatment services from these budgets was substantial, although the method of funding means that it is not possible to give figures on expenditure.

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In 2001–02, in addition to the funding from NHS and local authority mainstream budgets, the Government put into place a pooled drug treatment budget which meant resources were specifically made available for drug treatment. In 2001–02, the pooled drug treatment budget was 143.85 million and in 2002–03, the budget was 195.7 million.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure that ex-heroin misusers can re-enter their employment following treatment. [88965]

Ms Blears: The national treatment agency, which was set up by Government in April 2001 to increase the quality and availability of drug treatment services, has recently published the models of care (MOC) guidance, which is in effect a national service framework for drug treatment services. The MOC proposes a whole-systems approach, which includes a role for education, training, employment and housing as key elements of care.

As the target audience includes employers discussions took place between officials from the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the guidance contained in the MOC is in line with guidance issued by the other government departments.

Funding has also been specifically allocated for the re-integration of substance misusers into employment. The Department for Work and Pensions allocated £40 million in 2001, spread over three years, to help drug users find employment in 31 pathfinder areas in England and Wales. In practice most drug treatment programmes should include help and advice on re-entering employment, where appropriate.

Food Supplements Directive

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will lay before Parliament the Statutory Instrument to implement the provisions of the Foods Supplements Directive. [91070]

Ms Blears: The Food Standards Agency expects The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 to be laid before Parliament in June 2003.

Free Nursing Care

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will ensure the criteria for free nursing care apply to all patients suffering from dementia and Alzheimers; and if he will make a statement. [91552]

Jacqui Smith: People with dementia who are assessed as needing care in a care home that provides nursing care, will receive an appropriate level of national health service funding to their care consistent with the level of nursing input, on the same basis as residents with other conditions.

Draft supplementary guidance on NHS funded nursing care was issued for consultation on 20 December 2002. This makes specific reference to the importance of NHS nurses considering the mental health needs of patients as well as their physical health needs.

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Healthy Start Scheme

Dr. Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mothers on income support are projected to (a) breastfeed and (b) bottlefeed in each of the next five years. [91075]

Jacqui Smith: We do not collect information by this specific category of mother. The five-yearly national infant feeding survey provides historic data on the incidence of breastfeeding among women from social class V and those mothers without a partner. The latest survey shows a significant increase in the incidence of breastfeeding in mothers from social class V in England and Wales from 50 per cent, in 1995 to 59 per cent. in 2000.

The Department has set a national health service priorities and planning framework target to increase the initiation of breastfeeding by two percentage points per year over the next three years, particularly focussing on disadvantaged groups.

Health Protection Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy to proceed with the transfer of envisaged functions to the HPA on 1 April. [90065]

Ms Blears: Yes. We expect to lay statutory instruments before Parliament shortly to establish a special health authority from 1 April 2003.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he has taken to address Point 4 in the summary of the report to the steering group of the HPA in relation to the potential impact of a deliberate release of biological materials over the next few months; [90069]

Ms Blears: One of the steering group's key roles is to provide a forum for the various organisations forming the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to raise and resolve issues which may impact on decision making in the interim period. This will continue.

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As part of its normal business, the group reviewed a report on business continuity risks in relation to the proposed establishment of the HPA. This report included input from the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, the Chemical Incidents Response Service and other chemical providers, the Central Public Health Laboratory, the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and from a number of regions in relation to the establishment of field services.

Having reviewed the papers, the steering group endorsed a number of actions. The key decision was the appointment of interim directors to provide leadership and business continuity in key service delivery functions. These interim arrangements have since been announced. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 20 January.

As regards the deliberate release of biological materials, the Department, in conjunction with other agencies, is developing plans, which take account of the planned establishment of the HPA from 1 April.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will bring forward legislation to create the Health Protection Agency as an executive non-departmental public body. [90088]

Ms Blears: We aim to establish the Health Protection Agency as a non-Departmental public body, when Parliamentary time allows.

Infant Deafness

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units operating a newborn screening unit for deafness at birth (a) there are now and (b) are planned to open in 2003; where they are located; and if he will make a statement. [91667]

Jacqui Smith: Twenty-three sites are currently providing newborn hearing screening. We expect to bring on a further 16 sites by the end of May 2003, with approximately 30 additional sites during the remainder of the financial year 2003–04.

First and second phase sites, by health authority (HA) area, are as follows.


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Sites are listed by former Health Authority areas, as these were the boundaries in existence when the selection process started.

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