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3 Mar 2003 : Column 872W—continued

Retirement Age

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on allowing civil servants to retire at the age of 65. [90029]

Mr. McCartney: The Government have already begun to address the social and economic consequences of demographic change in its role as employer. One of the recommendations of Winning the Generation Game was that public sector employers should review their

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retirement ages and examine the case for allowing those who want to work on to age 65 to do so. Already 75 per cent. of civil servants now have the option to retire at 65 and the numbers able to serve beyond 60 are expected to increase.

All staff in the Department for Work and Pensions, below the Senior Civil Service, are able to choose to remain in employment beyond the age of 60 for any period of time up to the age of 65.

"Staff in the Senior Civil Service normally retire at the age of 60 but the Head of the Department and Agency Chief Executives have flexibility to retain members of the Senior Civil Service beyond age 60 if they judge it in the public interest and they are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties. The most senior posts require written approval from the Head of the Home Civil Service to be retained for longer than three months beyond their 60th birthday."

This is based on an extract from the Civil Service Management Code.

Most public service pension schemes, however, still allow a normal pension to be taken at 60 or under. The Government is seeking views on the proposal that the rules of public service pension schemes should be changed and applied to all new members during the next few years to make an unreduced pension payable from age 65 rather than 60. Such a change would reflect improved longevity, modern working patterns and the practice in the majority of private sector pension schemes.

Targeted Audits

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of targeted audits carried out by medical services and categorised as grade C have been judged to be fit for purpose. [99457]

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.

HEALTH

Laming Inquiry

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which recommendations of the Laming inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie the Government intend to implement; and by what date each will be implemented. [95619]

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which recommendations in the Laming Report the Government agree with and intend to put in practice; and by when. [96033]

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2003, Official Report, column 879, on Victoria Climbié, when the recommendations from the Laming Inquiry will be implemented; [95700]

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Jacqui Smith: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health made clear in the House, we will make our substantive response to the report as part of the Green Paper on Children at Risk, which will be published in the spring. We have already begun to implement many of Lord Laming's recommendations and we will say more in the Green Paper.

A and E Departments (Junior Doctors)

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of doctors in accident and emergency departments are junior doctors. [99316]

Mr. Hutton: The table shows the proportion of doctors in accident and emergency departments who are junior doctors.

Hospital medical doctors in training with an Accident and Emergency specialty: as at 30 September 2002

EnglandNumbers (headcount)
All doctors within A&E specialty3,220
Of which:
Doctors in training within A&E specialty 1,910
(as percentage of total)59.2

Note:

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census


Age-related Macular Degeneration

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the representations from (a) the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and (b) the RNIB on age-related macular degeneration. [97859]

Mr. Lammy: Letters received from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the Royal National Institute for the Blind in relation to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's appraisal of photodynamic therapy have been placed in the Library. I am grateful to these organisations for their agreement to release the letters.

NICE do not release to a third party any documents received by it from consultees, including submissions, correspondence, responses to formal consultation and statement of appeal against the Final Appraisal Determination, before the completion of its appraisal.

Attention Deficit Disorder

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research on the prevalence of (a) ADD and (b) ADHD in adults. [99678]

Jacqui Smith: The Department is currently committing substantial funding to a research programme in support of the implementation of the mental health national service framework. New priorities for research are continually being identified through consultation and this topic will be considered alongside others that emerge through this process.

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Barnet Chase Farm Trust

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement as to the future clinical strategy for Barnet Chase Farm Trust; [98940]

Mr. Hutton: Barnet and Chase Farm hospital national health service trust is continuing to work with local stakeholders in line with national policies over public and patient involvement to develop a clinical services strategy. At present there are no proposals for change.

Care Homes

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of admissions to care homes of people over the age of (a) 50 and (b) 65 in each of the last five years for which figures are available have been as a result of a fall. [100111]

Jacqui Smith: Information on the numbers of admission to care homes for people over the age of 50 and 65 as a result of a fall are not collected centrally. The national service framework for older people recognises that injury resulting from a fall can be a major factor in premature admission to long-term residential care. It sets out a standard and milestones for the development of integrated falls services that cover prevention, effective treatment and care of those who have fallen and appropriate rehabilitation.

Congestion Charges

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made as to the impact congestion charging in Central London will have on (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) consultants, (d) paramedics and (e) ancillary staff in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [97842]

Mr. Hutton: The congestion charging scheme includes a number of measures which will minimise impact of congestion charging on national health service staff. This includes:


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Correspondence

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to the letter of Mr. D.F.D. Malein of Milford on Sea of 16 December 2001. [94220]

Mr. Lammy: On behalf of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, officials from the Department responded to the points raised in Mr. D.F.D. Malein's letter on 10 February 2003.


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