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6 May 2003 : Column 647W—continued
HEALTH
Child Protection
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have disappeared from care in each year since 1997; what measures are in place to ensure children remain in care; what assessment has been made of where children go when they disappear from care; what measures are in place to try to keep track of their whereabouts; and if he will make a statement about the safety of children who disappear from care. [110784]
Jacqui Smith: The number of children who were listed as being missing from care in England since 1997 is shown in the table. Excluding children looked after under a series of short-term placements, it is estimated that in 2001–02 some 82,200 children were looked after in public care at some time during the year.
| England | Number |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 560 |
| 1998–99 | 550 |
| 1999–2000 | 540 |
| 2000–01(34) | 940 |
| 2001–02(34) | 960 |
(33) Data describes the number of children who went missing not the number of missing person's incidents by any one child.
(34) With effect from 1 April 2000, the definition of missing was changed from being absent for more than seven days to being absent for 24 hours or more.
Notes:
This table excludes all children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
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"Children Missing from Care and Home—a guide to good practice" was issued to every English local authority in November 2002, under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, which means that, except in exceptional circumstances, councils must follow its advice. The guidance requires that where a child in care is assessed to be missing, the authority responsible for their care must ensure that all is being done to locate them and return them to a place of safety. Where there is reason for an authority to be concerned that a child may go missing at the time that a care placement is made, then the guidance recommends that the authority should ensure that there is a proper "risk assessment" as to the likelihood of that child going missing. This assessment should lead to action being taken to minimise any potential risk. Each local authority must appoint a senior manager to be responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of its missing from care protocols and procedures.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what part his Department has played in respect of child protection issues in the Home Office taskforce on child protection and the internet. [110669]
Jacqui Smith: The Department of Health has, at official level, been represented on the Home Office task force on child protection on the internet since its establishment in 2001.
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialist assistance is available for child victims of trafficking for exploitation; what plans he has to ensure that social services staff have training on child trafficking; and if he will make a statement. [110787]
Jacqui Smith: The provision of assistance and support to child victims of trafficking should be secured by local statutory services in response to identified needs, whether provided directly or through specialist agencies. The relevant statutory agencies include the immigration service, the police, social services and health, which, collectively, have the responsibility to safeguard and protect the health and welfare of vulnerable children and to prevent and detect crimes against them.
The National Occupational Standards for Social Work were published by the training organisation for personal social services in 2002. The occupational standards describe the skills and knowledge social workers need in the area of child protection. It is for employers to ensure that their staff have these skills.
Accident and Emergency Services
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to the NHS about the involvement of reception staff in triage. [110817]
Mr. Lammy: The Department has not issued any specific guidance to the national health service about the involvement of reception staff in triage.
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Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency departments have only one resident doctor specialising in A and E on duty at night; and to which grade in each case the doctor is trained. [110816]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not collect the information requested.
The number of staff, including medical staff in accident and emergency departments, is a matter for local determination and may vary in the light of anticipated demand and the skills and experience of all professionals working in, or on call to, the emergency team.
Acute Care (East Kent)
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the terms of reference are for the Independent Review Panel examination of the future of acute health care in East Kent. [110658]
Ms Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 April 2003, Official Report, columns 427–28W.
Adoption Regulations
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the Voluntary Adoption Agencies and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations. [110510]
Jacqui Smith: The Voluntary Adoption Agencies and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003 were finalised after taking into account the 39 responses to the public consultation held between 25 September and 19 November 2002.
A summary of the consultation responses will be published on the Department's website.
No formal representations have been received since the Regulations were made on 25 February 2003. However, departmental officials have received a small number of inquiries from voluntary adoption agencies concerning the transfer of their registration to the National Care Standards Commission.
Asthma
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to reduce the cost of asthma treatment to asthma sufferers in England; and if he will make a statement. [106910]
Jacqui Smith: People, including those suffering from asthma, are entitled to free prescriptions if they are aged under 16, or under 19 and in full time education, or aged 60 or over, or they (or their partner) are receiving income support, income based jobseeker's allowance or are named on a national health service tax credit exemption certificate. They may also claim help under the NHS low income scheme. Subsequently, over 85 per cent. of all NHS prescription items are dispensed free of charge on the grounds of age or income level. We have no plans to change these arrangements.
Patients who pay NHS prescription charges may benefit from using a prescription prepayment certificate. This may be particularly helpful if a patient
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requires a lot of or regular prescriptions. A four-monthly certificate costs £32.90 and an annual certificate costs £90.40. Prescription payment certificate holders pay no further charge at the point of dispensing and there is no limit to the number of items the holder may obtain with the certificate.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people with asthma had at least an annual review of their condition in the last year for which figures are available. [110660]
Jacqui Smith: Information on the treatment an individual patient receives is not collected centrally.
Under the terms of the chronic disease management programme for asthma, general practitioners are required to prepare with the patient an individual management plan. The question of the frequency of review is a purely clinical one and will depend on the circumstances of the individual patient.
Audiology (Wandsworth)
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what extra money has been made available to Wandsworth Primary Care Trust for audiological services in each of the past three years. [110460]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not yet made extra money available to Wandsworth Primary Care Trust (PCT) as part of the modernising hearing aid services project. St. George's Hospital, Tooting, is expected to join the modernisation programme this financial year and funding will be made available to cover all capital costs and 75 per cent. of revenue costs involved in that modernisation. St. George's already has access to the national health service contract for digital hearing aids and has been providing digital hearing aids with funding from Wandsworth PCT's general allocation.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust regarding the appointment of a new Trust chairman. [110582]
Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions about this. The appointment of chairs and non-executives to the boards of national health service trusts is a matter for the NHS Appointments Commission. Other than setting the standard criteria against which all candidates are judged, Ministers have no part in this process.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust regarding the changes in management of the trust. [110583]
Mr. Hutton: I have had no discussions with Barking, Havering and Redbridge National Health Service Trust regarding the changes in management of the trust.
The appointment of a new chief executive is a local matter and the North East London Strategic Health Authority is working with the trust to ensure a smooth transition to the new management.
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