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25 Mar 2003 : Column 194W—continued
Emergency Departments (Waiting Times)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on waiting times in emergency departments. [104235]
Mr. Lammy: Cutting waiting time in accident and emergency departments to improve the patient experience is a top priority for the national health service. The NHS Plan target is that no patient should wait over four hours in A&E from December 2004.
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The NHS is engaged in a widespread programme of reform to deliver this, supported by the major £30 million Modernisation Agency emergency care collaborative programme.
Employee Statistics
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the (a) cost and (b) number of employees working in (i) research analysis and information, (ii) human resources, (iii) finance and investment, (iv) corporate affairs, (v) policy and planning, (vi) the Strategy Unit and (vii) the Communications Unit of his Department for each year from 1991–92 to 2003–04 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [103705]
Mr. Lammy: It is not possible to estimate the cost and the number of employees working in the areas listed in the question because of the changes that have occurred in the make up and structure of the Department since 1991.
Figures for the cost of employees working for the Department are contained within the Departmental Report, which is published annually and available from the Library (Command Paper 5403).
Full-time equivalent numbers for staff in all civil service departments and agencies are released twice-yearly by press notice. The latest data for April 2002 was published on 31 October 2002. Copies of the annual publication are available from the Library.
The Department's Permanent Secretary has recently initiated a major change programme, with an expectation that the number of posts in the Department—excluding its agencies—will reduce by at least a third by 1 October 2004. The precise implications for the number of employees working on different functions during 2003–04 will become clearer as the programme develops.
Expenditure (Thames Valley)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the most recent estimates collated by the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority for the forecast overspend or underspend by each NHS trust and primary care organisation in its area for 2002–03. [103764]
Ms Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally. Regular financial reports are presented to the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority board and these can be obtained from the Chairman of the Health Authority. Board papers can also be viewed on the health authority website at www.tvha.nhs.uk
External Consultants
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) external advisers and (b) consultants by his Department in each year since 1996–97. [103815]
Mr. Lammy: Expenditure by the Department for each year from 1996–97 is shown in the table.
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| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 14.699 |
| 1997–98 | 12.694 |
| 1998–99 | 7.332 |
| 1999–2000 | 8.132 |
| 2000–01 | 6.531 |
| 2001–02 | 6.8 |
The Department's accounting systems do not distinguish between consultants and external advisers and the provision of a separate analysis could be secured only at disproportionate cost.
Food Labelling
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of consumers (a) confident and (b) not confident in food labelling claims in each of the last 10 years. [102863]
Ms Blears: The Government do not collate detailed information on consumer confidence in food labelling claims. However, over the last three years the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has conducted an annual survey, "Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards", which asks consumers whether they are concerned about the accuracy of food labelling.
A copy of the latest survey for 2002, which contains comparative material from the previous two years, has been placed in the Library and is available on the FSA's website at www.food.gov.uk. The responses show just over a third, or 34 per cent., have concerns about the accuracy of food labelling.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concern about accuracy of food labels | |||
| Yes (percentage) | 35 | 35 | 34 |
| No (percentage) | 62 | 62 | 63 |
| Number questioned | (3,152) | (3,120) | (3,173) |
| Level of concern | |||
| Very Concerned (percentage) | 22 | 19 | 23 |
| Fairly concerned (percentage) | 57 | 56 | 54 |
| Slightly concerned (percentage) | 21 | 23 | 22 |
| Number questioned | (1,042) | (1,041) | (1,135) |
Food Standards Agency
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors underlay the decision by the Food Standards Agency to run a parallel exercise to the GM public debate run under the auspices of DEFRA. [103955]
Ms Blears [holding answer 20 March 2003]: The Food Standards Agency is taking forward its genetically modified debate activities as part of its responsibility under the Food Standards Act 1999. The activities are in line with the FSA's remit by focussing on the consumer acceptability of GM foods. The Chairman of the GM public debate steering board has been kept informed of all the FSA activities since summer 2002.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role the chairman of the Food Standards Agency had in approving the promotional booklet for the Food Standards Agency GM debate. [103956]
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Ms Blears [holding answer 20 March 2003]: The Food Standards Agency Chairman commented on the booklet, which was written by FSA officials and approved by the FSA's Chief Scientific Adviser. The booklet was produced to provide public information after FSA consumer research revealed very little public understanding of genetically modified food.
Foundation Hospitals
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS trusts' applications for NHS Foundation trust status will be made publicly available. [100844]
Mr. Hutton: Second stage applications for national health service foundation trust status will be made available to the public as part of each NHS trust's wider consultation with their stakeholders and local community.
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government is taking to increase awareness about the health benefits of fruit and vegetables in preventing cancer. [101389]
Ms Blears: Action to increase awareness of the 5-a-day message, which includes the benefits of fruit and vegetables in helping to reduce the risk of some cancers—as well as what counts towards the 5-a-day target and how much is a portion—is being taken forward through the 5-a-day programme.
The 5-a-day programme aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption through targeted action to improve awareness of the health benefits, and access to, fruit and vegetables, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Through the communications programme, one strand of the 5-a-day programme, resources to explain the 5-a-day message and ways of increasing fruit and vegetable intake have been produced and will be distributed through primary care settings. The National School Fruit Scheme, another strand of the 5-a-day programme, provides information materials for parents and children that also promotes the 5-a-day message. Also, a 5-a-day logo has been developed, for use in all settings, as a way of ensuring consistency in the 5-a-day message. 66 local 5-a-day community initiatives, another strand of the 5-a-day programme and supported by £10 million from the New Opportunities Fund, will also increase awareness through local media campaigns and work with schools, primary care, community groups and workplaces. Other activities include working with the food industry to ensure consistent and clear 5-a-day messages.
FSA (Illegal Imports)
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often since 31 March 2002 the Food Standards Agency has inspected the work of (a) local and (b) post health authorities in relation to the illegal import of animal and plant products at each relevant port. [103773]
Ms Blears: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that it undertakes an audit programme of local authorities which aims to ensure effective and
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consistent local authority enforcement of all legislation relating to food safety and standards, including that which applies to imported foods. Since 31 March 2002, the FSA has carried out audits of 89 United Kingdom local authorities, covering the full range of local authority food law enforcement activity.
Following the Cabinet Office review of imported food controls, the FSA has been asked to lead on a project to deliver a 'step change' in the co-ordination of local authority responsibilities for the control of the legal trade in imported food products. As part of this project the FSA is extending the audit programme to include audits of port health authorities.
All products of animal origin being imported direct to the UK from non-European Union countries must be imported via a border inspection post (BIP). The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has policy lead for BIPs.
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