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18 Mar 2003 : Column 666W—continued
Primary Care Trusts (Prisons)
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from primary care trusts about the impact on their budgets of providing healthcare services in prisons. [103383]
Jacqui Smith: I have received no recent representations from primary care trusts (PCTs) on this issue. Funding responsibility for health services in prisons will not be fully devolved to PCTs until April 2006.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what allowance he has made in budget allocations to primary care trusts for the number of prisons in the area they cover. [103384]
Jacqui Smith: Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2003–04 include an element to fund National Health Service secondary care services for prisoners, and take into account the population of each prison in a PCT area. Allocations also include funding for the continuation of existing prison mental health in-reach services.
Prisons
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prison health care centres are categorised as (a) red, (b) amber and (c) green under the traffic lights performance monitoring system; and what the criteria are on which prison healthcare centres are rated under the traffic lights system. [103071]
Jacqui Smith: The current criteria for rating prison health care centres are as follows.
- Red—The totality of the problems faced by the health care centre are such that decisive short-term or long-term action is needed to ensure a minimally acceptable and safe service.
Amber—the problems faced need to be resolved quickly and could or would get worse if left unattended, but are not as urgent as those in the Red category.
Green—the problems faced are manageable and on the whole the service provided is acceptable in the short to medium term.
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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of cost implications for future NHS budgets of trends in the prison population. [103388]
Jacqui Smith: Overall financial responsibility for prison health services will transfer from the Home Office to the Department of Health from 1 April 2003. Any subsequent funding identified to support increased prison capacity will contain an element for health care, which will be transferred to the Department of Health.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) sentenced and (b) unsentenced prisoners are receiving treatment for mental health problems; and how many of these are being treated as in-patients (i) in the prison health care centre and (ii) in an NHS setting. [103070]
Jacqui Smith: Information is not available in exactly the form requested. From 1 January to 31 December 2002, there were 39,000 admissions to prison health care centres. We estimate that around 30 per cent. of these, approximately 11,800, were for mental health reasons.
In the national health service setting, the latest available statistics show that in 2001, 3,002 restricted patients were detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. In this period, 595 prisoners had, by order of the Home Secretary under sections 47 and 48 of the Act, been transferred from prison service establishments to secure places funded by the NHS.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the budgets for mental health in-reach services in prisons. [103386]
Jacqui Smith: Funding for in-reach services established before the end of 2002–03 was included in the baseline resource level allocations that were issued to primary care trusts in December 2002. Further allocations, in respect of new in-reach services to be developed in 2003–04 and additional support for some existing services will be made shortly.
Respite Care
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progess he has made in drawing up guidelines for the use of vouchers for providing respite care. [103296]
Jacqui Smith: We plan to lay the regulations for the short breaks voucher scheme before the House by the end of April, with the guidance to follow thereafter.
Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester
Mr. Mates: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether emergency surgery facilities will remain at the Royal Hampshire county hospital in Winchester to support a consultant-led accident and emergency service. [102890]
Ms Blears: Our policy of "Shifting the Balance of Power" means that the configuration of local services is a matter for the local national health service, working in partnership with its local community.
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The future of services across Hampshire is currently under discussion in a local consultative process called "Healthfit" As this is a matter for the local community it would be inappropriate for Ministers to comment further at this time.
Sexual Assault
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protocols are in place in Accident and Emergency departments to adopt a fast track system for referrals from (a) sexual assault referral centres and (b) police stations for victims of sexual assault and rape. [101336]
Ms Blears: This is a matter for local determination. However, we would expect all Accident and Emergency departments to have a protocol in place to deal sensitively with victims of sexual assault. This includes medical treatment if needed and support and advice on referral to appropriate local services, including sexual assault referral centres and the police.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require Accident and Emergency departments and primary care trusts to ask patients attending for emergency contraception whether the intercourse was consensual. [101335]
Ms Blears: It is a matter for professional bodies to issue guidance on the supply of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC). All health professionals supplying EHC receive training, which should address issues around sexual history taking, partners and consent. If during a consultation for EHC, disclosure of a sexual assault occurs the health professional should provide support and advise on accessing appropriate local services including counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and, if the woman wishes, reporting the matter to the police.
Smoking
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of 11 to 15-year-olds smoke; and what progress his Department is making towards its objective relating to the incidence of smoking in this age group by 2005. [102567]
Ms Blears: In 2001, 10 per cent. of 11 to 15-year-olds smoked regularly.
The Government White Paper: "Smoking Kills", published in December 1998, included the following target: "To reduce smoking among children from 13 per cent. to 9 per cent. or less by the year 2010; with a fall to 11 per cent. by the year 2005."
Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislation to ban smoking in public places. [98491]
Ms Blears: Although the Government do not support legislation to ban smoking in all public places, existing health and safety legislation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places responsibility on employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.
We consider that if we are to ensure protection against passive smoking in public places and workplaces, we need action nationally and locally both
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to raise awareness of the risks associated with passive smoking and to increase the prevalence of smoke free environments. The Department will continue to encourage the development of smoke-free policies, working with employers and communities.
Locally, the Department is funding tobacco control alliances across England to work in communities to raise awareness and to increase the number of smoke-free environments. Findings from these projects will inform future development of the Department's work in this area.
The Department will, in addition to action already under way, develop education and information resources to raise awareness and understanding of the risks associated with passive smoking.
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions have been taken since the Approved Code of Practice on passive smoking was published. [98640]
Ms Blears: The Government consider that if we are to ensure protection against passive smoking in public places, we need action nationally and locally both to raise awareness of the risks associated with passive smoking and to increase the prevalence of smoke free environments. The Department of Health will continue to encourage the development of smoke-free policies, working with employers and communities.
At a national level the Department of Health has, since 1998, worked with the hospitality industry to reduce the problem of exposure to passive smoking through the development of a Public Places Charter. An independent evaluation of the Charter is being commissioned, and further work will be considered on the basis of the findings.
The Government are giving careful consideration to the Health and Safety Commission's proposals for an approved code of practice (AcoP). We encourage all employers to introduce smoke-free workplaces, but are particularly concerned about the implications such a code would have for the hospitality sector and small businesses. While consideration of the AcoP continues, other action is being taken to encourage the provision of smoke-free areas in public and workplaces. We recognise that making places entirely smoke free is not always going to be possible and encourage in these circumstances other measures to be taken to reduce people's exposure to smoke.
Locally, the Department is funding tobacco control alliances across England to work in communities to raise awareness and to increase the number of smoke-free environments. Findings from these projects will inform future development of the Department's work in this area.
The Department of Health will, in addition to action already under way, develop education and information resources to raise awareness and understanding of the risks associated with passive smoking.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been successful in giving up smoking as a result of the "Together" programme; how many people have participated in the programme;
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how much the programme has cost since it was established; and what assessment he has made of its success rate. [100784]
Ms Blears: The "Together" programme is a six-month pilot study launched on 9 January to determine the effectiveness of long-term support for smokers wishing to give up.
As at 28 February, a total of 4,072 smokers had registered to participate in the programme. 2,387 of these participants are known to have given up smoking but it is too early to make any estimate of long-term success.
£537,000 has been allocated to the programme.
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