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HEALTH
Ambulance Services
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 7 January 2002, Official Report, column 180W, on ambulance turnaround times, what information he collates on ambulance turnaround times. [93195]
Mr. Lammy: The Department collects some fast track management information on aspects of emergency care performance. This data is unvalidated and not necessarily accurate or complete and as such is not suitable for publication.
Chernobyl
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 4 December 2002, Official Report, column 896W, on Chernobyl, if he will place in the Library copies of the Eclis and Eurocas studies to which reference is made. [87560]
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Ms Blears: The European Childhood Leukaemia-Lymphoma Study (ECLIS) has produced two publications. Copies will be placed in the Library. The European Childhood Abnormality Study (EUROCAS) has yet to report.
Child Protection
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many children who died of (a) abuse and (b) neglect in each of the last 10 years had been removed from the local authority child protection register within 12 months prior to their death; [94031]
- (2) how many children who died of (a) abuse and (b) neglect in each of the last 10 years were named on the local authority child protection register. [94030]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.
However, in April 2002, the Department of Health introduced an enhanced computerised database of serious case notifications. The database records information such as details of the incident, the child and family concerned, any criminal proceedings, whether a serious case review has been, is being or is expected to be conducted into the incident, and whether the child was on the child protection register at the time of the incident or had been at any time in the past.
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of time taken in the last five years to complete a Part 8 Review following the death of a child is; and how many have taken longer than (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) 18 months and (d) 24 months. [94088]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.
Reviews will vary widely in their breadth and complexity, but in all cases lessons should be learned and acted upon as quickly as possible. They are expected to be carried out in accordance with "Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999)" guidance. This expects that the area child protection committee will determine, within one month of a case coming to light, whether to conduct a review. The review should be undertaken and completed within a further four months. Exceptionally, the complexity of the case or other factors may necessitate a longer timescale, which should be discussed and agreed with the Social Services Inspectorate.
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the purpose is of undertaking a Part 8 Review following the death of a child. [94089]
Jacqui Smith: The purpose of serious case reviews carried out in accordance with "Working Together to Safeguard Children" (1999), the Government's child protection guidance (known widely as part 8 reviews') is to:
- establish whether there are lessons to be learned from the case about the way in which local professionals and agencies work together to safeguard children;
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identify clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted upon, and what is expected to change as a result; and as a consequence,
to improve inter-agency working and better safeguard children.
Jacqui Smith: Children involved in prostitution and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation are likely to be in need of welfare services and—in many cases—protection under the Children Act 1989.
Where there is a risk to the life of a child or a likelihood of serious harm, an agency with statutory child protection powers, for example, the police or councils with social services responsibilities, should act quickly to secure the immediate initial safety of the child. In some cases, it may be necessary to ensure either that the child remains in, or is removed to, a safe place. Under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, a local authority may provide accommodation for any child within their area if they consider that to do so would safeguard or promote the child's welfare.
When a child is identified as involved in prostitution or other commercial sexual exploitation, or at risk of being drawn into it, an assessment of the child's needs will be undertaken in accordance with "Safeguarding Children Involved in Prostitution" (2000), "Working Together to Safeguard Children" (1999), the Government's child protection guidance, and the "Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families" (2000). This assessment should be followed by consideration of how best to address the identified needs of the child and development of a care plan for the child who is in need. The plan could include a range of services, for example, mentoring to assist a return to education or employment, and help to secure appropriate health services.
Delayed Discharge
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the distribution of delayed discharge funding, with particular reference to those local authorities which are affected by the ceiling on grant increase for services spending. [93099]
Jacqui Smith: The Access and Systems Capacity Grant 2003–04 is being distributed according to the new older people's formula for social services. We have not yet made any decisions on the distribution of the additional £100 million per full year, related to the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Bill. The distribution formula is not affected by the system of general grant expenditure increases.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Yeovil
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans are being drawn up by (a) East Somerset NHS trust and (b) Dorset and Somerset health authority to establish a new diagnostic and treatment centre in Yeovil; and if he will make a statement. [92559]
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Ms Blears: Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority in their capacity plan have set out a range of proposals to meet local targets for access.
Among their proposals was a development at Yeatman hospital in Sherbourne, which sought to expand capacity in the area served by east Somerset national health service trust. This scheme has many of the features of the national diagnostic treatment centre (DTC) programme as it seeks to create dedicated elective capacity for a modern, patient focused, high productivity clinical service. The trust is currently producing a business case for this development, which will require approval by local primary care trusts and the StHA before it proceeds.
A proposal to create a new provider DTC in Somerset delivered through the local procurement route has been agreed. It is not currently envisaged that this DTC will be in Yeovil. A further proposal was to explore whether a new provider DTC may be required to serve an area in eastern Dorset and western Hampshire. It is not currently envisaged that this DTC will be in Yeovil.
Maternity Units
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many proposals there are (a) to convert and (b) to establish maternity units as midwife-only centres. [85789]
Jacqui Smith: This information is not collected centrally.
Mental Disorders (Children)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children with a mental disorder in (a) Haltemprice and Howden and (b) the UK; and if he will make a statement. [93841]
Jacqui Smith: Information is not collected centrally in the format requested. However a survey of the mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain was carried out in 1999 by the Office of National Statistics on
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behalf of the Department of Health, Scottish National Executive and National Assembly for Wales. Prevalence rates were produced for five to 15 year olds in the three main categories of mental disorder, i.e. conduct disorder, hyperactivity and emotional disorder.
The key findings on prevalence were:
- about ten per cent, of children aged five to 1 5 years in Great Britain had a mental disorder in 1999
five per cent., had conduct disorders (e.g. aggressive and antisocial behaviour), four per cent., had emoional disorders (e.g. anxiety, depression) and one per cent, were hyperkinetic (inattention, overactivity)
mental disorders were significantly more common in boys than girls in both the five to ten year and the 11–15 year old age groups.
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