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Performance Bonuses

Tim Loughton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid out in bonus payments and to how many civil servants in 2001–02 related to performance in his Department. [96116]

Mr. Lammy: In the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002, the Department paid a total of £397,600 in performance bonus payments to 782 staff.

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All bonus payments are performance related.

Primary Movement Exercise Programmes

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of primary movement exercise programmes. [93588]

Mr. Miliband: I have been asked to reply.

I refer my hon. Member to the reply I gave on 28 January, Official Report, column 780W.

Renal Patients

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has evaluated on the impact of the availability of choice of immuno suppressive agents on short and long-term outcomes for renal patients; what plans he has to allow the National Service Framework on Renal Services to enable access to choice and tailored treatment for each patient; and if he will make a statement. [97178]

Mr. Lammy: We have asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to establish the clinical and cost-effectiveness of immunosuppressive regimens with regard to initial maintenance, acute rejection therapy in renal transplantion.

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Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many units in the UK routinely carry out asystolic kidney organ donor operations; what plans he has to increase the number of units who carry out such operations; and if he will make a statement; [96134]

(2) what research has been carried out to compare the cost of sustaining a patient on dialysis whilst waiting for a kidney organ transplant to the cost of increasing the number of asystolic kidney donor operations; and if he will make a statement. [96204]

Mr. Lammy: Successful transplantation of donor kidneys is by far the most clinically effective and cost-effective treatment for suitable patients with established renal failure. The average cost of maintaining a heamodialysis patient is estimated at £34,500 per annum, compared with £20,000 for the first year of a cadaveric kidney transplant and £6,500 per annum after the first year. Survival data from three transplants units show that the medium term outcomes of successful transplantation of non-heartbeating donor kidneys are as good as heartbeating donor transplants.

In 2001–02 and 2002–03, UK Transplant funded seven national health service trusts to increase the number of non-heartbeating donor transplants.

Renal Services Framework

Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he plans to include in the National Service Framework on Renal Services (a) patient care pathways, from dialysis to transplantation, (b) long-term follow up clinics and (c) screening of key indicators, to include blood pressure and blood lipids; and if he will make a statement; [96199]

(2) if he plans to include guidelines to ensure patient access to transplantation services for the National Service Framework on Renal Services; and if he will make a statement; [96132]

(3) when the National Service Framework on Renal Services will be published; whether resources will be committed to ensure its implementation; and if he will make a statement; [96133]

(4) what plans he has to include standards for increasing organ donor numbers in the renal National Service Framework; whether this will include raising awareness of options including living related Donors; and if he will make a statement. [96198]

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the National Service Framework on Renal Services will include guidelines to ensure patient access to transplantation services; [96385]

(2) whether the National Service Framework on Renal Services will be published in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the resources to be committed to ensure its implementation; [96384]

(3) whether the National Service Framework on Renal Services will include standards for increasing organ donor numbers, with particular reference to the Awareness of Living Related Donors Scheme; [96383]

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(4) whether the National Service Framework on Renal Services will include patient care pathways from dialysis to transplantation, including provision for long-term follow-up clinics and screening of key indicators; [96388]

(5) whether the National Service Framework on Renal Services will include (a) information on (i) improving long term graft outcomes, (ii) maximising rejection prevention and (iii) minimising side-effects associated with anti-rejection drugs and (b) standards on providing information to patients on (A) treatment options, (B) survival rates and (C) outcomes; [96386]

(6) whether the National Service Framework on Renal Services will enable access to a choice of immunosuppressive agents to allow tailored treatment for patients. [96387]

Mr. Lammy: The renal national service framework (NSF) will be published in due course. It will set national standards and provide a national direction for renal services that will need to be achieved over 10 years. There will be flexibility at local level to plan to meet local priorities and to use local innovation within the framework of the national standards.

The issues of increasing and raising awareness of organ donation and access to transplantation services are within the scope of the renal NSF and will be considered fully during the NSF development process. Consideration will also be given to the patient care pathway and to the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease.

Ritalin

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of prescribing of Ritalin to children diagnosed with manic depression. [96639]

Jacqui Smith: We do not collect information on the prescribing levels of drugs for particular disorders. Amphetamines and related drugs, e.g. Ritalin, are specifically contra-indicated for the treatment of depression. Ritalin is therefore not an accepted treatment for manic depression.

Social Services Inspectorate

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposal to include the Social Services Inspectorate within the Council for Health Improvement. [97041]

Jacqui Smith: The Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) will not be merging with the Commission for Health Improvement.

However from 2004 onwards, a new inspectorate for social care, the Commission for Social Care Inspection will be set up, subject to legislation. The new inspectorate will bring together the functions of the SSI and the social care functions of the National Care Standards Commission.

Surgical Instruments (Sterilisation)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with (a) the

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Health Minister in the Scottish Executive and (b) the British Medical Association regarding the sterilisation of surgery instruments. [96051]

Ms Blears: Officials in the Department have regular working level contacts with Scottish Executive officials to discuss matters of shared interest, including decontamination and the sterilisation of surgical instruments. Neither Ministers nor officials have had recent discussions with the British Medical Association to discuss decontamination, although officials do have discussions about decontamination with the medical and surgical Royal Colleges from time to time.

Vehicle Fleet

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual rate is at which his Department renews its vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and percentage for each category of vehicle, (b) type of power unit and (c) type of fuel; and what progress has been made on the replacement of vehicles on a lower emissions basis in each of the last three years. [96561]

Mr. Lammy: The Department operates a fleet of 132 vehicles. Of this figure, 73 are petrol, 58 are diesel and one is liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

The fleet has recently changed from leasing to purchasing vehicles. The annual rate at which the Department renews its vehicles under the existing lease scheme is three years to a maximum of five. The rate at which it renews its purchased vehicles is four years. The vehicle choice is restricted by the Department for Work and Pensions' other Government Department contract, which we also use. The driver makes choices for new vehicles from an approved choice list.

We have vehicles ranging in engine size from 1400 cc. to no larger than 2400 cc. The lowest emissions figure is 157g/km. and the highest is 220g/km. The average emissions figure for the fleet is 168g/km.

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