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Child Protection
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many communications to social services
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departments regarding procedures for dealing with vulnerable children have been issued by his Department since 25 February 2000. [96037]
Jacqui Smith: Communications to social services departments regarding procedures for dealing with vulnerable children since February 2000 have included:
- the "Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (April 2000)";
together with, "Assessing Children in Need and their Families: Practice Guidance (April 2000)";
supplementary guidance to "Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 1999)" guidance focusing on "Safeguarding Children Involved In Prostitution (June 2000)";
guidance focusing on "Complex Child Abuse Investigations: Inter-Agency Issues (May 2002)";
supplementary guidance to "Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 1999)" focusing on "Safeguarding Children in whom Illness is Induced or Fabricated by Carers with Parenting Responsibilities (August 2002)";
"Learning from Past Experience—A Review of Serious Case Reviews (June 2002)";
my letter of 28 January 2002, Child Protection Responsibilities of Primary Care Trusts;
my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health's letter of 28 January 2003 reminding trusts of their responsibilities to children, particularly those relating to child protection;
Local Authority Circular (2000)18 "Amendment to guidance to local authority social services departments on visits by children to special hospitals";
Local Authority Circular (2001)27 "Access to education for children and young people with medical needs";
- Local Authority Social Services Letter (2001)2 "The Children and Families court advisory and support service (CAFCASS) and complaints about the functioning of child protection conferences"; and
Local Authority Social Services Letter (2002)4 "Guidance on accommodating children in need and their families".
Children in Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what central database is kept of children in the care of Social Services who go missing from their usual place of residence. [95995]
Jacqui Smith: Every English local authority is required to submit an annual statistical return to the Department, which includes information about the numbers of children who have gone missing from care in their area over a 12 month period.
"Children Missing from Care and Home—a guide to good practice" was issued to every English local authority in November 2002, under Section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970. The guidance requires that where a child in care is assessed to be missing, social services should pass on this information to the police who should then ensure that their details are included on the police national computer.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many communications to NHS trusts regarding procedures for dealing with children suspected of suffering harm at the hands of their carers have been issued by his Department since 25 February 2000. [96038]
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Jacqui Smith: Communications to national health service trusts regarding procedures for dealing with children suspected of suffering harm at the hands of their carers include:
- "the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (April 2000)";
together with, "Assessing Children in Need and their Families: Practice Guidance (April 2000)";
supplementary guidance to "Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 1999)" focusing on "Safeguarding Children Involved In Prostitution (June 2000)";
guidance focusing on "Complex Child Abuse Investigations: Inter-Agency Issues (May 2002)"
supplementary guidance to "Working Together to Safeguard Children (December 1999)" focusing on "Safeguarding Children in whom Illness is Induced or Fabricated by Carers with Parenting Responsibilities (August 2002)";
my letter of 28 January 2002 "Child Protection Responsibilities of Primary Care Trusts";
my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health's letter of 28 January 2003 reminding trusts of their responsibilities to children, particularly those relating to child protection and;
Revised Health Service Circular HSC 1999/160 (issued in August 2000) "Visits by Children to Ashworth, Broadmoor and Rampton Hospitals Directions".
Jacqui Smith: I meet regularly with representatives of the Association of Directors of Social Services to discuss a range of children's services issues including the educational achievement of children in care. The last meeting took place on 18 December 2002. The next meeting is scheduled for 18 March 2003.
Though I have not met recently with a delegation of children in care, I am kept informed of their views through the Quality Protects national reference group. The group comprises children and young people in care as well as young people who have left care. The group was established to provide a means by which Government can hear the views of children and young people on how the Quality Protects programme is working on the ground.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers there are in England; how many of them are receiving treatment from the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [97504]
Jacqui Smith: The Department of Health does not routinely collect statistics on the prevalence of individual conditions. The report of the independent chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgicencephalomyelitis working group, published in January 2002, estimated a population prevalence of around 0.2 to 0.4 per cent, in adults and around 0.07 per cent.in children.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance he has issued to hospital trusts
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and PCTs on the provision of services to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers; and if he will make a statement. [97505]
Jacqui Smith: We have issued no guidance to hospital trusts and primary care trusts on the provision of services to patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
In October 2002 however, we did make the National Health Service aware, through the Chief Executive's Bulletin and the GP Bulletin, of the guidance produced by Action for ME called Guidance on the management of CFS/ME.
Coronary Heart Disease
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died from coronary heart disease in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997; and what measures his Department has taken to help reduce deaths from coronary heart disease in South Tyneside. [96379]
Ms Blears: Statistical returns of deaths attributed to coronary heart disease are currently available for the period 1997–2001, and are shown in the table.
| Year | Jarrow parliamentary constituency | South Tyneside unitary authority | North East Government Office Region | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 243 | 478 | 7,158 | 140,209 |
| 1998 | 206 | 428 | 7,097 | 138,110 |
| 1999 | 218 | 404 | 6,550 | 132,024 |
| 2000 | 212 | 384 | 6,161 | 124,063 |
| 2001 | 179 | 324 | 5,955 | 120,957 |
Notes:
Deaths selected using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 410–414, and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes 120–125. ICD-9 codes were used to classify these deaths from 1997 to 2000 in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and from 1997 to 1999 inScotland. ICD-10 codes were used in subsequent years.
Years in which deaths occurred in England & Wales. Years in which deaths were registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Sources:
England and Wales—Office for National Statistics
Scotland—General Register Office for Scotland
Northern Ireland—General Register Office for Northern Ireland
The Government are committed to tackling the historical social and geographical inequalities of the impact of coronary heart disease (CHD). We are taking action now to remedy these inequalities through the implementation of the national service framework for CHD, which sets clear national standards for the prevention and treatment of CHD.
In the area of CHD prevention, one example of the local implementation of these initiatives is that National Health Service smoking cessation services in Gateshead and South Tyneside Health authority helped over 4,000 people to give up smoking for at least four weeks between April 2000 and March 2002. South Tyneside Primary Care Trust has also been invited by the New
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Opportunities Fund to make an application for a Five-a-day grant to increase awareness of and access to fruit and vegetables.
In the area of CHD diagnosis, there has been considerable expansion of diagnostic angiography services locally over recent years, with a New Opportunities Fund financed laboratory established in Sunderland to supplement a new Gateshead laboratory.
In the field of primary care, at least 84 per cent, of patients who have suffered a heart attack are now being prescribed life-saving statins. A table showing the rate of increase of the prescription of statins in South Tyneside and nationally over the last three years, has been placed in the Library.
One of the aims of the Patient Choice initiative which has been in place since July last year is to reduce the impact of regional variations in secondary treatment provision for CHD patients. Under this initiative, CHD patients who have been waiting more than six months for a revascularisation procedure are offered the opportunity to be treated at a hospital or clinic of their choice, which may be either another NHS hospital or a hospital or clinic in the private sector. This and other associated initiatives are currently offering the possibility of shorter waits for treatment to patients in South Tyneside and many other areas, and local NHS service providers are keen to encourage eligible patients to take part.
There has been little progress made in changes to lower emissions in the last few years, except during the last year, when LPG vehicles have been added to the choice list as they become available from manufacturers. We hope to replace our pool car fleet with LPG vehicles and will be reviewing our choice list before the end of 2003 to include mor of these.
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