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14 Apr 2003 : Column 622W—continued

Rubella

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of rubella were recorded in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) London in each year since 1997–98. [108643]

Ms Blears: The number of confirmed cases of rubella in England, Wales and London between 1997 and 2002 is shown in the table. The data for 2002 is provisional and is therefore subject to change.

Laboratory confirmed cases of Rubella, 1997–2002

Year	England	Wales	London
1997	94	5	5
1998	120	2	5
1999	158	3	4
2000	59	1	11
2001	38	4	12
2002 (provisional)	63	0	20

Secure Units (Children)

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often parents may visit their children detained in Orchard Lodge and Standford House secure units. [108617]

Jacqui Smith: There are no formal restrictions on how often parents may visit their children, unless there are concerns for the welfare or safety of a child. All children placed in the secure units undergo full time education and visits are encouraged outside of normal school hours. However, the individual needs and views of the children, their parents, carers and social workers are taken into, account when agreeing an approved list of visitors and visiting schedules.

Smallpox Vaccine

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the second tranche of smallpox vaccines to be ordered by his Department are to undergo clinical trials; whether any of the manufacturers bidding for the contract have offered to supply vaccines that have undergone clinical trials; and if he will make a statement. [108000]

Mr. Hutton: The procurement procedure for selecting the successful company or companies for supply of the second tranche of smallpox vaccine is still in progress. We will require the production of our new smallpox vaccine to follow the European Union Committee

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for Proprietary Medicinal Products guidance, which includes recommendations for a clinical development programme.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether IDT was invited to submit a bid for the second tranche of smallpox vaccines to be procured by his Department; why no direct invitation was made to IDT to submit a bid for the first tranche; and if he will make a statement on the relative merits and demerits of (a) the Lister strain and (b) the New York Board of Health strain of smallpox vaccine. [108001]

Mr. Hutton: The second tranche of smallpox vaccines is being procured by way of a competitive tendering procedure. A notice was placed in the Official Journal of the European Communities in October 2002, seeking expressions of interest from any company wishing to tender for the contract. No company was approached on an individual basis and invited to bid.

Impfstoffwerke Dessau Tornav Gmbh (IDT) was not approached during the first smallpox vaccine procurement process. It was known from the outset that IDT were a sub-contracting partner of Bavarian Nordic, with whom PowderJect had an exclusive agreement to act as their suppliers for smallpox vaccine.

In selecting the strain for the new smallpox vaccine, the Department of Health sought advice from a specially convened expert subgroup of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Experts considered that there was no difference in efficacy between vaccines based upon the Lister strain and those based upon the New York City Board of Health (NYCBH) vaccinia strain as both were known to have been effective in the past.

The JCVI sub-group also concluded that there is a greater body of evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of the Lister strain vaccines against the more severe form of smallpox "variola major" in the past than there is for the NYCBH based vaccines. The view was taken that using a different strain for our new vaccine than that chosen by the United States offered the greatest safeguard in the event of difficulties arising with the production of either new vaccine.

Smoking

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Approved Code of Practice on Smoking in the Workplace. [106631]

Ms Blears: 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 will continue to encourage the development of smoke free policies, working with employers and communities.

At a national level, the Department 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. The Charter commits signatories to increase the provision of facilities for non-smokers, improving ventilation and giving customers better information about the level

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of smoke free facilities in an establishment. An independent evaluation of the Charter has been 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 will, in addition to action already underway, develop education and information resources to raise awareness and understanding of the risks associated with passive smoking.

Staff Assaults

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported assaults against hospital staff at NHS hospitals there have been in the Greater London area during the last 12 months. [107950]

Mr. Hutton: The Department does not collect this information in the form requested.

The Department does, however, collect information on reported incidents of violence, which includes verbal abuse. These figures are not broken down.

The table shows figures for Greater London in 2000–01. This information is taken from the 2000–01 Survey of Reported Violent or Abusive Incidents, Accidents Involving Staff and Sickness Absence in NHS Trusts and Health Authorities, in England. The 2001–02 survey has not yet been published.

Number of reported violent incidents against NHS staff in Greater London—2000–01

Greater London	7,736

Notes:

1. Figures are the total of all violent incidents reported by NHS Trusts within the London Strategic Health Authorities.

2. Figures are for the financial year 2000–01.

Source:

Department of Health's survey of Violence, Accidents and Harassment in 2000–01.

Stroke Treatment

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated for strokes (a) by hospital, (b) in England and (c) in each health authority in 2002; and what their annual rates were. [108434]

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Jacqui Smith: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Information on the annual survival rates of patients treated for strokes is not collected centrally.

The national service framework (NSF) for older people, published in March 2001, requires all general hospitals that care for people with stroke to have by April 2004 a specialised stroke service, as described in the NSF stroke service model.

Implementation of specialist stroke services is required in "Improvement Expansion and Reform", the Priorities and Planning Framework for 2003–06. This makes clear that implementation of the older people's NSF is a top priority, and that the 2004 milestone around specialist stroke services is a key target.

Sunset Clauses

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the sunset clauses included in legislation from his Department since 1997. [106949]

Mr. Hutton: None of the Bills introduced by the Department of Health since 1997 has contained a sunset clause.

Tuberculosis

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 350W, on tuberculosis, how many specialist nurses were employed in each sector in London, broken down by (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent figures, in each year since 1997. [106567]

Ms Blears: Information on the details of the number of specialist nurses was not collected prior to April 2002.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what prevention and awareness campaigns about tuberculosis took place in London in each of the last two years. [106568]

Ms Blears: The Department launched a tuberculosis awareness campaign on 25 March 2002. This included media and press advertisements, posters and leaflets and some public relations outreach work.

The devolution of power to local national health service organisations means that primary care trusts and trusts are responsible for mounting their own programmes. We are aware of various on-going TB awareness programmes in London sectors.

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