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29 Jan 2003 : Column 888W—continued
Empty Homes
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many empty homes his Department (a) had five years ago and (b) has now, by region; if he will establish an empty homes strategy within his Department; and if he will set a target for reduction in empty homes. [92915]
Mr. Lammy: The Department has no residential accommodation on the administrative estate, empty or otherwise.
Five years ago, the Department was in the process of disposing of the St. Charles Youth Treatment Centre, Brentwood, which included nine houses and eight flats
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that were empty. The site, including the housing, was eventually transferred to the Home Office for re-use within Government.
No information about residential accommodation owned by National Health Service trusts or primary care trusts in England is currently held that could answer this question, although a database of residential accommodation available for NHS staff in London has been built.
A survey of the NHS residential estate was last conducted in September 1998, which showed that there were 895 houses and flats vacant at that time. This was however a snapshot in time, and does not take account of units being held back for occupancy within a short time, as might be expected in a managed portfolio in periods of high staff turnover.
NHS Estates produced 'Sold on Health' (2000), which highlights opportunities to improve management of the NHS healthcare estate and new ways of driving out surplus estate and getting best value from the whole asset lifecycle.
The NHS housing initiative was established in April 2000 to tackle the problem of a lack of affordable accommodation for health workers on moderate incomes.
The NHS Plan announced, in July 2000, a target to deliver an additional 2,000 units of affordable accommodation for nurses in London by July 2003.
The initiative extends to cover the south east of England and other areas of high property prices throughout the country.
Green Minister
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister in his Department is the nominated Green Minister; how often he has attended meetings of the Green Ministers; and which official has responsibility for the DEFRA rural proofing check-list in his Department. [88458]
Mr. Lammy: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health (Ms Blears) is the nominated Green Minister in the Department of Health.
It is established practice under Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of the Cabinet and its committees-such as Ministerial attendance at committees.
Officials in the Department's policy and planning directorate have lead responsibility for co-ordinating rural proofing activity in the Department of Health.
Homeless People
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is given to homeless people to have access to a nutritionally balanced diet. [87421]
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Ms Blears: The Homelessness Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are working with the Department of Health and the clinical practitioners and health visitors association to improve access to and raise awareness of the benefits of a healthy diet.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department takes by way of partnership agreements with other Departments to improve the health care needs of homeless people. [87448]
Ms Blears: Vulnerable groups—including homeless people—have been identified as a key priority in the Government's cross-cutting review on health inequalities. In the review, Departments across Government gave commitments to take action where their programmes, policies and resources can make an impact on inequalities, including for vulnerable groups. A forthcoming All-Government delivery plan on health inequalities will set out how Departments' commitments will translate into action; the Department will drive forward the implementation of that plan.
Hospital Food
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the nutritional standards of hospital food for (a) adults, (b) children and (c) vulnerable elderly people. [83346]
Ms Blears: The Better Hospital Food programme has been designed to improve both the quality and availability of food for all patients through, amongst other things, the introduction of a 24-hour catering service and the provision of additional daily snacks.
Hospitals should have available to them expert dietetic advice, which should be called upon when designing hospital menus to ensure they meet the need of all patients. Additionally the essence of care, issued by the Chief Nursing Officer in 2001, highlights the importance of nutritional screening to identify patients who are at risk.
The National Health Service recipe book, issued in May 2001, sets out the minimum standards to be provided by hospitals and also provides additional guidance on meeting the nutritional needs of children, elderly and long stay patients as well as those requiring food with modified consistency. There is additionally guidance on common therapeutic diets.
A guidance document on providing catering services to children and young adults is due to be issued to the NHS shortly.
Hospital Fractures
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people experienced bone fractures while being cared for in NHS hospitals in each of the last five years; and how many of the injured persons died while still in hospital. [93100]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not collect this information centrally. In-patient central records monitor why a patient has entered a hospital, but do not necessarily record subsequent changes to the reason they are being cared for in hospital.
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However, the Government are concerned about national health service patients affected by adverse events, including bone fractures. It established the National Patient Safety Agency in July 2001 to improve the safety of NHS patient care by promoting an open and fair culture and by introducing a national reporting and learning system for adverse events. It is planned for the system to be rolled out across the NHS from summer 2003. The reporting and learning system will, in time, enable us to understand the nature and extent of adverse events in the NHS, including bone fractures and take action to prevent them being repeated.
In addition, the national service framework for older people requires the NHS to take action to prevent falls and reduce resultant fractures or other injuries to older people.
HPA
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions are taking place about the future pension situation for HPA employees after 1 April; and when he expects these to be concluded. [90052]
Ms Blears: The intention is for transferring staff to be able to retain membership of their existing pension scheme. As a special health authority, the Health Protection Agency will be able to admit existing and new staff to the NHS occupational pension scheme.
The current Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 statutory regulations do not cover occupational pension schemes. If for any reason it were not possible for individuals to retain their membership of their existing pension scheme, all necessary steps will be taken to ensure that staff retain broadly comparable pension arrangements in the future. Advice is being sought from the Government Actuary's Department and if appropriate to seek a certificate of comparability.
Inequality Review
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to address the community development aspects of the Tackling Inequality 2002 Cross-cutting Review. [84886]
Ms Blears [holding answer 9 December 2002]: We will shortly be publishing an all Government delivery plan for tackling health inequalities. This will set out priorities for action across Government including local Government and in the national health service, in partnership with the community, voluntary and business sectors and will address the community development aspects of tackling health inequalities.
Kava-kava
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will place in the Library (a) the discussion paper that the Medicines Control Agency used to provide the framework from which risk management options have been considered regarding kava-kava, (b) the information used to assess the economic impact of the various regulatory options considered by the Medicines Control Agency regarding
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kava-kava and (c) the Medicines Control Agency risk analysis for kava-kava on the viability risk management options other than banning kava-kava; [91471]
- (2) if he will place in the Library data used by the Medicines Control Agency in considering the safety of kava-kava that relates to potential enzyme induction caused by (a) kava-kava and (b) registered medicines in association with kava-kava in adverse reaction case reports; [91472]
(3) if he will place in the Library the Medicines Control Agency's (a) risk benefit analysis in relation to kava-kava, (b) supporting documents and (c) expert advice; [91474]
(4) if he will place in the Library correspondence and submissions (a) sent to and (b) received by the Medicines Control Agency regarding the regulating of kava-kava. [91473]
Ms Blears: I am placing in the Library of the House copies of the following documents: the Medicines Control Agency's letters to interest groups about kava-kava; a summary of the responses received in response to the Agency's public consultation (ML" 286); copies of responses to the consultation received where permission has been received from the author; papers considered by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and by the Medicines Commission; minutes of the meetings of the CSM held on 12 December 2001, 10 July 2002 and 16 October 2002; minutes of the meeting of the CSM's working group held on 12 March 2002; the final regulatory impact assessment (RIA).
Some of the papers considered by the advisory committees have been anonymised under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, as have parts of the minutes of meetings, under exemptions 10, 13, 14 and 15 of the code.
Minutes of the Commission's meeting of 7 November 2002 will be placed in the Library once the minutes have been formally ratified by the Commission. This is expected in February.
We will review all other documents sent and received by the MCA relating to kava-kava to assess what, if any information is subject to non disclosure under the code and seek permission for disclosure from external parties where necessary. The main categories into which these additional documents fall include: factual advice sought from and given by the MCA following inquiries from a wide range of external parties, including members of the public, about the regulatory position of kava-kava and the progress of consideration of safety issues; legal advice sought by and given to the MCA; factual information exchanged between the MCA and the Food Standards Agency, other Government Departments, regulatory authorities elsewhere in the European Union, papers reflecting policy advice to and discussion with Ministers. Some of these categories of information will be exempt from disclosure under the code.
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In relation to kava-kava medicines with a marketing authorisation, exemptions 10, 13 and 15 of the code apply. This information remains confidential and publication would be premature while the issues are still under consideration; however, the advice will be published (some papers may be anonymised) once a regulatory decision has been made.
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