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28 Apr 2003 : Column 250W—continued
Privy Council
Mr. Swire: To ask the President of the Council for which countries the Privy Council remains the highest court of law. [109643]
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Dr. John Reid: The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the court of final appeal for United Kingdom overseas territories, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and the following countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Brunei
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
Kiribati
Mauritius
New Zealand
St. Christopher and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu.
In the case of Brunei, appeals lie to the Judicial Committee in civil cases only, and in the case of Kiribati appeals lie only in constitutional cases affecting a Banaban.
Public Service Agreement
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council (a) how many and (b) what grades of officials are responsible for the monitoring of progress towards the public service agreement targets of his Department. [109471]
Dr. John Reid: Owing to the nature of Privy Council Office business, and with the agreement of HM Treasury, my Department does not have a Public Service Agreement.
Special Advisers
Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what the salary bill was for special advisers in his Department in 2002–03; and what it is expected to be in 2003–04. [108507]
Dr. John Reid: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 24 April 2003, Official Report, reference 108495.
University Charters
Mr. Swire: To ask the President of the Council which establishments have had university charters conferred on them since 1973. [109644]
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Dr. John Reid: Only two universities have been incorporated by charter in the relevant period, but charters have also been granted to a number of other higher education institutions. Full details are given in the following table:
| Institution | Date |
|---|---|
| Universities (two) | |
| University of Buckingham | 11 February 1983 |
| University of Ulster | 31 July 1984 |
| Cambridge (six) | |
| Darwin College, Cambridge | 9 June 1976 |
| Wolfson College, Cambridge | 27 October 1976 |
| Clare Hall, Cambridge | 12 September 1984 |
| Robinson College, Cambridge | 30 October 1984 |
| Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge | 22 July 1997 |
| St. Edmunds College, Cambridge | 22 April 1998 |
| Oxford (five) | |
| Wolfson College, Oxford | 18 February 1981 |
| Linacre College, Oxford | 5 June 1986 |
| Mansfield College, Oxford | 11 April 1995 |
| Templeton College, Oxford | 11 April 1995 |
| Manchester College, Oxford | 23 November 1995 |
| University of London (four) | |
| Queen Mary and Westfield College | 2 August 1989 |
| Goldsmith's College, University of London | 1 November 1989 |
| University of London Institute of Education | 10 June 1987 |
| King's College, London(78) | 13 February 1980 |
| Others (seven) | |
| College of Law | 12 November 1975 |
| London Graduate School of Business Studies | 8 July 1986 |
| College of Ophthalmologists | 23 March 1988 |
| The Henley Management College | 21 May 1991 |
| Royal College of Anaesthetists | 11 February 1992 |
| The College of Optometrists | 28 June 1995 |
| College Paediatrics and Child Health | 23 July 1996 |
(78) First awarded charter in 1829 then a new charter in 1980.
HEALTH
Ritalin
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of school children taking the drug Ritalin; and if he will make a statement] [110187]
Jacqui Smith: Information is not collected centrally on the number of children taking Ritalin. Ritalin is one of the proprietary names for methylphenidate hydrochloride. In 2001, 208,500 prescription items of methylphenidate hydrochloride were dispensed in the community in England.
Rheumatologists
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the need for more consultant rheumatologists. [109237]
Mr. Hutton: The NHS Plan recognises that the National Health Service needs more staff and commits the Government to increasing the size of the NHS workforce. By 2004, the NHS Plan states that there will be 7,500 more consultants and 1,000 more specialist registrars than in 1999. These targets are not specialty specific.
28 Apr 2003 : Column 253W
The workforce review team meets annually with specialty representatives to discuss training capacity and particular workforce issues. Based on these meetings and other intelligence, the review team makes recommendations on the required expansion of training opportunities in the specialty.
We are increasing specialist registrars (SpR) numbers. For 2003–04, trusts will have scope to create up to 40 locally funded SpR training opportunities in rheumatology.
Current workforce projections indicate that by September 2004, there will be around 80 additional trained specialists in rheumatology over a September 2000 baseline. As at 31 March 2002, there were 430 consultants in rheumatology.
Community Equipment Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned on the uses to which the integrated community equipment stores budget has been put; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [109368]
Jacqui Smith: Additional funding for the integration of community equipment services has been made available to social services and health services as a result of both the 2000 and 2002 spending review settlements. It has been distributed to councils, health authorities and recently primary care trusts as part of their baseline allocations. The Department has not commissioned any research into the uses to which the additional funding has been put.
AAT Deficiency
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to give babies the heel prick test for AAT Deficiency in the near future. [106606]
Jacqui Smith: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee provides advice to Ministers on all aspects of screening policy. To assess the evidence for any proposed new screening programme, the NSC uses criteria covering, for example, the nature of the condition, the effectiveness of the test, and the diagnostic and treatment options. There are no plans at present to introduce a heel prick test in babies for alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, as there is not yet research evidence to support a universal programme.
Accident and Emergency Services
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of accident and emergency admissions were admitted to hospital in each of the past three years. [109199]
Mr. Lammy: The proportion of accident and emergency admissions who were admitted to hospital in each of the last three years is 100 per cent.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of accident and emergency patients were (a) admitted to hospital and (b) discharged in the past year. [107727]
28 Apr 2003 : Column 254W
Mr. Lammy: 17 per cent. of patients attending the accident and emergency (A&E) or minor injury service were admitted to hospital in 2001–02.
Only patients admitted to hospital can be classed as having been discharged. Therefore, A&E patients not admitted to hospital are not classed as discharged patients.
Agency Social Workers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many agency social workers, who have worked for local authority social services departments, have been found to be unable to speak English; when he last met social services departments to discuss agency social workers unable to speak English; and what guidance he has issued to local authorities regarding the use of agency social workers who are unable to speak English. [109109]
Jacqui Smith: Information about the ability of agency social workers to speak English is not collected centrally. I have not met with social services departments to discuss agency workers ability to speak English.
The Department of Health does not publish specific guidance in relation to the ability of agency staff to speak English, but there are relevant sections in the Care Homes Regulations and the Department has published a range of National Minimum Standards documents, all of which set out standards in relation to staff competence and qualifications in social care provision.
Regulations 18 and 19 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 require all staff to be suitably qualified, competent, experienced and fit to work in the care home.
The National Minimum Standards expect that residents will be communicated with in a language or format appropriate to them, which would in most cases mean English.
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