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Teenage Cancer

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available for teenage cancer patients on exclusively teenage wards in (a) the North West of England and (b) Lancashire. [98512]

Jacqui Smith: Information on bed numbers is not collected centrally at the level of detail requested.

Child Abuse/Neglect

Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were recorded as having died in each of the last 10 years following suspected or confirmed (a) abuse and (b) neglect. [94029]

Jacqui Smith: Information detailing the number of children who have died in each of the last ten years following abuse or neglect is not held centrally.

However, by revamping its databases of serious cases, the Department of Health has a record of serious case notifications from 1 April 2002. Of the 119 notifications between 1 April 2002 and 31 January 2003, 91 were of deaths and 28 were of serious injuries.

Information detailing the number of children under 16 years old, who are currently recorded as being victims of homicide (a category which covers murder, manslaughter and infanticide) over the last ten years has been placed in the Library.

Children's Database

Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which agencies and organisations have access to the Department of Health's computerised database of deaths and serious injuries of children; [94621]

(2) what use is made of the information on the Department of Health's computerised database of deaths and serious injuries of children. [94627]

Jacqui Smith: No outside organisations have routine access to the database. However, data derived from this database and its predecessors have been made available to bona fide researchers and others with a legitimate basis for their inquiry.

The data will inform policy development and the biennial overview of Serious Case Reviews (the first of which was published in June 2002), thus ensuring that important lessons from case reviews are put into the professional and public domain without compromising the confidentiality of vulnerable children, such as siblings of children who have died as a result of child abuse.

Chiropodists/Podiatrists

Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions there have been between the Department of Health and the Health Professions Council on how the public will differentiate between the different clinical competencies and qualifications of individual chiropodist and podiatrist practitioners; [95643]

(2) if he will make a statement on the efficacy of using the titles chiropodist and podiatrist to differentiate between the clinical competencies and qualifications of different chiropodist and podiatrist practitioners; [95644]

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(3) what plans the Department of Health has to recommend to the Health Professions Council that they institute a sub-register for current chiropodists who may decide not to join the Health Professions Council's register; [95645]

(4) what plans his Department has to recommend to the Health Professions Council that they create protected titles other than chiropodist and podiatrist. [95646]

Ms Blears [holding answers 12 February2003]: My right hon. Friend the Minister of State met the President and Chief Executive of the Health Professionals Council (HPC) on 4 December 2002, at which meeting all aspects of the HPC's proposals were discussed.

The HPC consulted about which titles should be protected by law and has undertaken extensive market research to understand the public's perception of titles currently in use by healthcare professionals. The HPC's decision to propose the protection of both chiropodist and podiatrist reflects the general perception that these titles are used interchangeably. The titles indicate that those registered have met HPCs standards of competence. All applicants for registration will be expected to meet standards of proficiency, whether they are applying through the transitional arrangements, as international applicants or as UK applicants who have completed an approved course.

The HPC proposes using subsections of the register to distinguish between modalities of care but believes that to distinguish between skill levels would be confusing and unnecessary. The HPC has no plans to introduce a sub-register for those practitioners who do not meet the Council's standards of proficiency and who would not therefore be able to use the protected titles. Ultimately, it is for the HPC to propose and the Privy Council to determine the protected titles that will be associated with parts and subsections of the Health Professions Register.

Clinical Competence

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken and commissioned on the appropriateness of a three years out of five rule to assess clinical competence; and if he will make a statement. [94233]

Mr. Hutton: None. The three years out of five years rule is drawn from European Union Directives on recognition of qualifications for all professions which require a relevant qualification.

Correspondence

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Salford (Ms Blears), will reply to the letters of 25 October 2002, 9 December 2002 and 13 January 2003, from the hon. Member for West Suffolk concerning Mr. Dominique Porché, a constituent. [95900]

Ms Blears [holding answer 6 February 2003]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 12 February 2003.

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Delivery Unit

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many officials in his Department have been assigned to do specific work (a) with and (b) for the Delivery Unit since June 2001; [94366]

(2) when Ministers from his Department last met members of the Delivery Unit; and on how many occasions since its establishment Ministers have met members of the Unit; [94327]

(3) which announcements made by his Department since June 2001 have been cleared in advance with the Delivery Unit; [94365]

(4) which Ministers and officials from his Department have visited areas outside London accompanied by Members of the Delivery Unit; [94364]

(5) when the Permanent Secretary in his Department last met members of the Delivery Unit; [94369]

(6) how many reports his Department has been comissioned to produce by the Delivery Unit in the next (a) 12 and (b) 24 months; [94367]

(7) if he will list the reports made since June 2001 by his Department to the Delivery Unit; [94368]

(8) what targets have been set for his Department by the Delivery Unit since June 2001; and what progress has been made in meeting such targets; [94371]

(9) when Ministers from his Department last met (a) the Prime Minister and (b) officials to discuss targets set by the Delivery Unit; and what plans there are for further meetings. [94370]

Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for meeting the Department's Public Service Agreement targets set out Cm 5571, copies of which are available in the Library.

The Delivery Unit was established to strengthen the capacity of Whitehall to deliver the Government's key objectives. It works closely with us to help us deliver our PSA targets, and we are in regular contact with members of the Unit.

Information about internal meetings is not disclosed under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Elderly People (Patient Transfers)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on their health of transferring elderly people between residential or nursing homes. [98862]

Jacqui Smith: The Department recognises that moving into and between care homes can be difficult and stressful for any long-term resident, particularly vulnerable older people.

Such moves, including ones made as a result of care home closures, should be handled as sensitively and appropriately as possible. Proper arrangements should be made for the safe and satisfactory transfer of all residents to other suitable homes. There should be adequate time for this to be done, in a way that allows

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both residents and their relatives a choice in where they are to move to, and which creates the minimum possible discomfort to all concerned.

Epilepsy

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on progress towards an action plan for reducing sudden death by epilepsy; [97982]

(2) what guidance he gives to consultants of patients with epilepsy to ensure that those patients are fully informed about the risks of sudden death from the complaint. [97983]

Jacqui Smith: We are committed to improving services for people with epilepsy. We have published an epilepsy action plan in response to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) sponsored national clinical audit of epilepsy-related death and recommendations in the chief medical officer's 2001 annual report. The action plan is available in the Library.

The audit report and action plan draw the attention of local National Health Service clinicians and organisations to the need to establish or review policies and practices regarding the management of epilepsy and epilepsy related deaths.

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