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Prisoners

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of prisoners (a) suffer from mental health problems, (b) smoke, (c) have taken illegal drugs, (d) have chronic pulmonary heart disease, (e) have coronary heart disease, and (f) have diabetes. [109699]

Jacqui Smith: A survey of psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales, undertaken in 1997 by the Office for National Statistics, showed that around 90 per cent. of prisoners sampled displayed evidence of at least one of the five disorders, personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence, considered in the survey. The same study showed that 85 per cent. of men on remand, 78 per cent. of sentenced men, 83 per cent. of women on remand and 81 per cent. of sentenced women smoked. It also indicated that 85 per cent. of men on remand, 81 per cent. of sentenced men, 77 per cent. of women on remand and 69 per cent. of sentenced women had ever taken an illegal drug.

No similarly wide-ranging studies have been undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of chronic pulmonary heart disease, coronary heart disease or diabetes among the prison population of England and Wales.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners who have been diagnosed with a functional psychosis are receiving treatment. [109555]

Jacqui Smith: Information is not collected centrally in the form requested. We estimate that around 5,000 prisoners at any one time suffer from a severe mental illness. Under NHS Plan commitments, by 2004 every prisoner with a severe mental illness will be in receipt of appropriate treatment.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners underwent a course of (a) methadone maintenance and (b) methadone reduction in the last year for which figures are available. [109535]

Jacqui Smith: Prison service establishments reported that 41,916 drug and alcohol detoxifications were carried out between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2002. Information is not collected centrally on the number of uses of particular methods of clinical management of substance misusers in prisons.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into the public health risk posed by prisoners engaging in unprotected sex; and what discussions he has had with the Home Office on reducing this risk. [109559]

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Jacqui Smith: The risks to individuals' and the public health from unprotected sex are already well understood by the prison service, which has already issued advice to prison doctors about the circumstances in which they should make condoms available to prisoners.

Prisons

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health professionals are employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in prisons in England and Wales. [109536]

Jacqui Smith: Detailed information on professional specialisation among healthcare professionals working in the prison service in England and Wales is not kept centrally.

As of March 2003 there were 42 functioning national health service mental health in-reach teams, comprising over 155 staff, working with prisoners.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 7 April 2003, Official Report, column 110W, on prisons, if he will place a copy of the prison service standard for clinical services for substance misusers in the Library. [110035]

Jacqui Smith: Copies have been placed in the Library.

Property Portfolio

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated value is of the property portfolio held by his Department. [108374]

Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the national asset register, published in April 2001. This lists the assets held by this Department and their valuation.

The estimated current value of the Department's administrative estate is £65 million.

Prostate Cancer Advisory Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he will take to ensure that the recommendations of the Prostate Cancer Advisory Group will be implemented at Primary Care Trust level. [109913]

Ms Blears: The overall remit of the prostate cancer advisory group is to facilitate collaboration between the Department of Health, the voluntary sector, patient and professional groups and to advise Ministers, the National Cancer Director and the Department of Health on the development of policy on prostate cancer. Ministers will then make final decisions on the direction of national health service policy.

Public and Patient Involvement Forum

Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether foundation hospitals will have a Public and Patient Involvement Forum; and whether such a forum for a trust will be abolished when that trust is given foundation status. [109239]

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Mr. Hutton: Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, Clause 29, sets out the position regarding patients' forums in National Health Service foundation trusts.

Regions White Paper

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by his Department towards the aim in the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, of encouraging applicants to public bodies from all parts of England; and what change there has been in the geographical diversity of appointees to NDPBs and other public bodies sponsored by his Department since the publication of the White Paper. [108560]

Mr. Lammy: All vacancies for national upper tier bodies sponsored by the Department are advertised in the national press, as well as in ethnic minority and disability publications. For lower tier bodies, advertisements are either placed in national publications in the same way, or otherforms of publicity are used such as alerting relevant professional bodies to vacancies. Vacancies on the boards of National Health Service trusts, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts are all advertised in the press local to the body involved. Board members can normally only be appointed if they live in the area served by the body.

Vacancies for all local and national bodies are also now advertised on the recently established Cabinet Office vacancies website. In addition, the Department publicisedvacancies on Department of Health public bodies at the regional seminars organised in 2002 by the Women and Equality Unit.

The Department does not collect separate information on the regions in which candidates appointed to bodies reside.

Residential Care

Mr. Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 April, Official Report, column 778W, regarding residential care, what steps he is taking to ensure that supply and demand for care is brought into balance in each region; and if he will make a statement. [110149]

Jacqui Smith: It is for local councils to consider how to balance the supply and demand for residential care in their areas in the light of local circumstances. The balance should be determined following consultation with service users and local providers.

Residential Social Workers

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential social workers were employed in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector in each local authority area, in each of the last five years. [109224]

Jacqui Smith: Information on residential social workers employed in either the public or private sector is not available centrally. The available information on staffing in councils with social services responsibilities in England is available at www.doh.gov.uk/public/psstaff.htm.

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Ronkswood Hospital (Asbestos)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that rubble removed from the Ronkswood hospital site, Worcester, is not contaminated with asbestos; and if he will make a statement; [109857]

(2) whether he owns the freehold of the former Ronkswood hospital site in Worcester; and who is responsible for the redevelopment of the site; [109860]

(3) what measures he is taking to ensure that the rubble and other materials from former NHS hospitals that are demolished is disposed of in accordance with the legal requirements and that all landfill tax is paid where necessary; and if he will make a statement. [109859]

Mr. Lammy: The freehold for the Ronkswood Hospital site was transferred to Robert Hitchens Ltd. in May 2002 by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Thereafter all responsibility for the land and the buildings thereon passed to this company and it is understood they will be redeveloping the site.When NHS land is sold to the private sector, all responsibility for that land is also transferred. Before a sale is completed, a trust should hand over its records to the proposed purchaser on any known presence of asbestos or other hazardous material located on the site. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the new owners to ensure that they carry out their own surveys and comply with all relevant legislation on the disposal of rubble and other material together with the payment of any potential landfill tax.

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