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3 Apr 2003 : Column 844W—continued

Smoking

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when he next plans to review the Approved Code of Practice for the White Papers, "Smoking Kills"; [105771]

(2) when he next plans to meet hospitality trade representatives to discuss the implications of passing the Approved Code of Practice; [105772]

(3) if he will review the costs and benefits of smoking restrictions in the work place. [105773]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: The Government are currently looking at possible options to reduce the exposure of people to tobacco smoke. We will announce our conclusions in due course about how best we will achieve further progress in this area.

Social Fund

Mr. David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administrative costs of the Social Fund were in each of the last five financial years; and if he will make a statement. [82079]

3 Apr 2003 : Column 845W

Malcolm Wicks: (pursuant to my written reply 19 December 2002, col. 1020W.)

The information is not available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department now accounts for its administration and benefit expenditure by Strategic Objective, as set out in its Public Service Agreements (PSA), and by individual Requests for Resources (RfRs) as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts.

Estimates of the cost of administering the Social Fund are available for 1997–98 and 1998–99 and these are shown in the table.

£

Financial year	Estimated Social Fund expenditure(30)
1997–98	161,000,000
1998–99	215,000,000

Note:

Costs are rounded to the nearest £million

Source:

Social Security Departmental Reports 1999–2000 (Figure 50) and 2000–01 to 2001–02 (Figure 42).

3 Apr 2003 : Column 846W

Targeting Fraud Website

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many hits the Targeting Fraud website has received, broken down by month; how many cases of suspected fraud have been reported to the website; how many of these suspected cases have been investigated; how many (a) cases of fraud have been established, (b) changes to benefits have been made and (c) successful prosecutions there have been, as a result; and what sentences have been imposed by the courts where prosecutions have been successful; [89768]

(2) how many submissions have been made to the Targeting Fraud website in each month since January 2000; how many referrals for investigation were made as a result of submissions to the Targeting Fraud website; how many investigations were completed as a result of submissions to the website; and how many prosecutions have resulted from website submissions. [92502]

Malcolm Wicks: Information is not collated centrally on sentences imposed by the courts where successful prosecutions have resulted from the Targeting Fraud Website. The available information is in the table.

Targeting Fraud Website May 2000–December 2002

Month	Number of hits(30)	Number of cases of suspected fraud reported	Number of cases accepted for action by investigation staff	Number of investigations completed	Number of resulting benefit rate changes(31)	Number of successful prosecutions
May 2000	—	3	1	1	0	0
June 2000	—	80	27	3	0	0
July 2000	—	93	35	7	1	0
August 2000	—	75	27	18	5	0
September 2000	(32)1,311,930	95	28	13	2	0
October 2000	—	89	29	27	4	0
November 2000	—	81	18	28	6	0
December 2000	—	41	14	13	1	0
January 2001	11,516	68	35	21	5	0
February 2001	58,620	71	22	25	2	0
March 2001	49,027	242	83	28	2	0
April 2001	19,349	317	102	36	9	1
May 2001	8,659	172	60	46	8	0
June 2001	16,475	197	61	54	13	0
July 2001	19,203	144	61	64	12	0
August 2001	15,617	117	39	45	12	0
September 2001	50,905	160	41	57	14	0
October 2001	14,328	200	86	48	12	0
November 2001	22,825	241	111	52	16	1
December 2001	13,382	190	70	48	11	0
January 2002	15,103	384	159	62	15	2
February 2002	14,027	315	134	88	18	0
March 2002	12,548	297	143	73	12	0
April 2002	11,011	333	125	88	18	1
May 2002	9,512	309	127	116	20	2
June 2002	11,293	226	88	86	28	1
July 2002	8,797	244	94	98	26	1
August 2002	7,043	240	69	86	18	1
September 2002	10,182	251	90	87	25	0
October 2002	6,658	318	129	112	37	3
November 2002	8,843	289	118	83	25	1
December 2002	9,202	203	85	72	25	4
Total	1,736,055	6,085	2,311	1,685	402	18

⁽³⁰⁾ Information provided by the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.

⁽³¹⁾ The number of benefit rate changes includes both increases and decreases both due to client error and to official error. This is not the number of frauds proven, for which data is not available.

⁽³²⁾ For the month of December 2000 the total figure includes the number of hits from May 2000 until December 2000 and these cannot be broken down by month. Figures were not accessible, at that time, without incurring disproportionate costs.

⁽³³⁾ The fraud database shows completed cases commenced in the relevant period. Due to the elapsed time between commencement of an investigation and completion of a prosecution there are cases which are inserted into previously completed data for earlier periods. All totals are therefore correct at the time when quoted but subject to adjustment at a later date.

Source:

Fraud Information By Sector system

⁽³⁴⁾

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HEALTH

Anti-depressants

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the Seroxat Users Group regarding the Committee on Safety of Medicines review of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class anti-depressants; [105537]

(2) what action he is taking to ensure that the research conducted by members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines who hold shares in manufacturers of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class anti-depressants is fully independent; [105536]

(3) what action he is taking to ensure that the review of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class anti-depressants being conducted by the Committee of Safety of Medicines is fully independent. [105538]

Ms Blears [holding answers 28 March 2003]: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the independent scientific advisory group the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) have kept the safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants under close review since authorisation, it is normal practice for the CSM to convene an expert group to consider particular issues. The meeting of the ad hoc expert working group of 21 November 2002 was primarily convened to hear a presentation of the research of Dr. David Healy. Members of the Medicines Act advisory committees, such as the CSM, are required to follow a code of practice relating to declarations of interests in the pharmaceutical industry. The code is applied where members attend meetings of expert working groups and this was the case on 21 November 2002.

A new CSM expert group is being appointed to conduct further review of SSRIs and appropriate membership is being considered in light of issues raised at the meeting and the further work these will require, as well as further legal advice on interests in the particular circumstances of this class review.

Officials at the MCA are in contact with members of the Seroxat Users Group and have taken the views of the group into account.

Assisted Conception

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures NHS hospital trusts follow to ensure the safety and reliability of the test-tube baby procedure. [106850]

Ms Blears: National health service trusts, and all other units providing in vitro fertilisation, must be licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and take account of the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 as well as the HFEA's code of practice and other guidance issued by the HFEA. The HFEA inspects all clinics regularly to make sure the requirements are being met.

Carbon Monoxide

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) deaths, (b) injuries and (c) illnesses have

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been attributed to carbon monoxide in the (i) UK and (ii) south-west region in each of the past 10 years; and what action the Government has taken, or plans, to reduce the number of people harmed by carbon monoxide. [104883]

Ms Blears: The total number of deaths per year, due to carbon monoxide poisoning of any cause (including suicide) in England has declined from 1,419 in 1992 to 441 in 2001 and in the south-west region has declined from 181 in 1992 to 62 in 2001. A breakdown of the figures for each of the last 10 years has been placed in the Library.

Figures relating to Scotland and Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. Whilst the institutions in Northern Ireland are suspended, responsibility lies with the Minister for the Northern Ireland office.

Unpublished research commissioned by the Department for Trade and Industry has suggested that between 42 and 57 deaths a year in the United Kingdom are the result of carbon monoxide poisoning from domestic appliances. A breakdown for each of the last ten years is shown in the table. This information is not available for the south-west region.

Deaths in the UK from poisoning in the home by carbon monoxide from domestic appliances in 1990–99

	Number of deaths
1990	46
1991	51
1992	50
1993	57
1994	55
1995	51
1996	59
1997	42
1998	47
1999	45

In 2002, the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health issued a letter to community nurses, midwives, health visitors and general practitioners to encourage recognition of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Department of Health has also commissioned research on the health effects of carbon monoxide.

Following a fundamental review of gas safety by the Health and Safety Commission completed in 2000, HSC has set a target of a minimum 20 per cent. reduction in gas-related fatalities over a 10-year average; this includes those caused by CO poisoning (75 per cent. of all gas fatalities).

Measures being taken forward include: improving the public's safety awareness through advice and publicity; driving up gas installers' standards of work by introducing completion certificates to be given to consumers; changes to gas safety enforcement responsibilities and changes to the duties of gas emergency service providers.

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