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10 Feb 2003 : Column 595W—continued
Salt
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to reduce the level of salt in the diet; [95649]
- (2) if he will introduce a programme informing the British public of the dangers of excessive consumption of salt. [95651]
Ms Blears [holding answer 7 February 2003]: The NHS Plan committed action by 2004 to "initiatives to work with the food industry—including manufacturers and caterers—to improve the overall balance of diet including salt, fat and sugar in food, working with the Food Standards Agency". 75 per cent. of salt in the diet is from processed foods. The Department and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have been in discussions with industry to gradually reduce the level of salt in manufactured foods, where it is present beyond technical, safety and palatability needs. Sectors of industry have taken some action during the last few years to reduce the salt content of the food they sell. Scope for further reductions have been identified and the Department and the FSA are working with key industry bodies to progress action.
The Department and the FSA also plan to hold a meeting with wider stakeholders later this year to raise the profile of the issue and highlight the role of all stakeholders in addressing dietary salt intakes—including health, manufacturers, retailers, caterers and voluntary organisations. The stakeholders meeting will be held following publication of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition Sub-group report on salt and health.
Following the publication of this report, the Department and the FSA also plan to more widely publicise the impact of salt and health to consumers and the action they can take to reduce their intakes. At present, the issue of salt reduction is covered in FSA leaflets and on it's website. It is also highlighted on the NHS Direct website.
The five a day communications programme highlights that, although the fruit and vegetables in processed food count towards the five a day target, processed foods high in salt, fat or added sugars should only be eaten in moderation and that it is important to always read the label.
Special Advisers and Press Officers
Mr. Laws : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers have been employed by his Department in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and at what cost in each year. [92452]
Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 31 January 2003, Official Report, column 1056W, regarding special advisers across all Departments.
The table shows information on the number of press officers in the Department.
10 Feb 2003 : Column 596W
| Numbers | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 12 | (46)— |
| 1995–96 | 9 | (46)— |
| 1996–97 | 15 | (46)— |
| 1997–98 | 16 | (47)1,062 |
| 1998–99 | 18 | (47)1,122 |
| 1999–2000 | 21 | (47)1,253 |
| 2000–01 | 22 | (47)1,233 |
| 2001–02 | 22 | (47)1,279 |
| 2002–03 | (48)— | (48)— |
(46) The Department's staffing cost information for Press and Publicity Division for 1994–97 does not separately identify the cost of the press office or individual press officers. This level of detail has only been available since 1997–98.
(47) A direct comparison between the number of press officers and cost, cannot be made. The budget for the Department's media centre includes support staff and other administrative costs as well as press officers.
(48) For the financial year 2002–03 the final figures are not yet available.
Note:
The increased costs reflect increased/new activity.
St. George's Hospital
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges from St. George's Hospital, Tooting, there were in 2002. [94323]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Department.
Surgical Instruments (Sterilisation)
Tim Loughton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the policy to establish automated decontamination services for sterilising surgical instruments in NHS hospitals; [96053]
- (2) how many NHS hospitals in England operate automated decontamination services for sterilising surgical instruments. [96054]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 5 February 2003]: There are 182 national health service trusts in England, covering 240 central sterile departments. All these departments carry out decontamination using automated processes. Some instruments are not compatible with automated processes, however and therefore require to be cleaned manually. NHS Estates has issued guidance on how this should be done.
Waiting Times (Hull and East Riding)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people are waiting for examinations for (a) cancer and (b) heart defects in Hull and the East Riding; and what the waiting times were in the past 12 months; [92844]
- (2) what the average waiting times and the number of people waiting were for referral to (a) cancer and (b) heart specialists in the Hull and East Riding in the last 12 months. [92845]
Jacqui Smith: Speciality based waiting time data for inpatients and outpatients, broken down by national health service trust, are available at www.doh.gov.uk/waitinq times.
10 Feb 2003 : Column 597W
Cancer waiting time data are available at www.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits.
- Source:
- Department of Health website.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients waited longer than eight weeks after being referred to a (a) cancer and (b) heart specialist by their GP in Hull and the East Riding in the past 12 months. [92846]
Jacqui Smith: One patient waited longer than eight weeks in the period January to December 2002 after being referred to a cancer specialist.
There were 1,342 patients who waited more than eight weeks in the period January to December 2002. Currently the average wait to be seen is just over eight weeks.
- Source of Information:
- Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
TREASURY
Bowel Cancer
Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have died from bowel cancer in the UK in each of the last 10 years. [95991]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tim Loughton, dated 10 February 2003:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the number of people who have died from bowel cancer in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years. (95991)
- The most recent available mortality data are for the calendar year 2001. Figures for each year from 1992 to 2001 are given in the table below.
| Calendar year | Number of deaths |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 19,945 |
| 1993 | 18,667 |
| 1994 | 18,332 |
| 1995 | 18,174 |
| 1996 | 17,858 |
| 1997 | 17,564 |
| 1998 | 17,373 |
| 1999 | 17,001 |
| 2000 | 16,568 |
| 2001 | 16,491 |
(49) Bowel cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 152 to 154, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C17 to C21. In England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, ICD9 was used until 2000 and ICDl0 from 2001. In Scotland, ICD9 was used until 1999 and ICD10 from 2000.
(50) Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are for deaths registered in each calendar year. Figures for England and Wales for 1992 are based on deaths registered in that calendar year and for 1993 to 2001 on deaths occurring in each calendar year.
10 Feb 2003 : Column 598W
Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the projected five year survival rates were for people diagnosed with bowel cancer in each of the last 10 years. [95992]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tim Loughton, dated 10 February 2003:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the projected five year survival rates for people diagnosed with bowel cancer in each of the last 10 years. (95992)
- The most recent ten year period for which five year survival rates are available relates to cases diagnosed in England in 1986 to 1995. No figures are available for bowel cancer as a whole. However, around 95% of bowel cancers occur in the colon and rectum. The available figures for adult patients (ages 15–99 years) are given in the table below.
| Year of diagnosis | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–90(51) | Colon | 39 | 39 |
| Rectum | 37 | 39 | |
| 1993–95(52) | Colon | 44 | 43 |
* Cancers of the colon and rectum are coded 153 and 154, respectively, in the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision; and CIS and C19–20, respectively, in the Tenth Revision.
(51) Coleman MP, Babb P, Damiecki P, Grosclaude P, Honjo S, Jones J, Knerer G, Pitard A, Quinn MJ, Sloggett A, De Stavola B. Cancer Survival Trends in England and Wales, 1971–1995: deprivation and NHS Region. Studies in Medical and Population Subjects No.61. London: The Stationery Office, 1999.
(52) http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D4924.xls The methodology used to calculate the survival rates for patients diagnosed in 1993–95 is closely based on that used to analyse cancer survival trends over the period 1971 to 1990(53) . Figures for cancers of the rectum are not available.
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