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13 May 2003 : Column 223W—continued
Continuing Care Funding
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was to the NHS of providing continuing care in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [112165]
Jacqui Smith: The Department of Health does not collect this information.
NHS Dental Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Amendment Regulations. [109433]
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population of Shropshire was registered with an NHS dentist in each of the last five years. [111664]
Mr. Lammy: At 28 February 2003, 39.3 per cent. of the population for Shropshire County Primary Care Trust was registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist. The information in the table shows the percentage of population registered with a dentist for Shropshire health authority area at 30 September for the years 1998 to 2001 and for 31 August 2002.
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| At 30 September | Percentage of population registered with a CDS dentist |
|---|---|
| 1998(36) | 44.4 |
| 1999(36) | 43.2 |
| 2000(36) | 42.7 |
| 2001(37) | 40.7 |
| 2002(38) | 41.4 |
(36) 1998–2000 ONS mid year population estimates based on the 1991 census.
(37) 2001 ONS mid year population estimates based on the 2001 census.
(38) 2002 data is at 31 August.
Registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentist within 15 months and so the registration figures exclude patients who have not been to their CDS dentist within the past 15 months. Also excluded from the figures are patients who receive dental treatment from other national health service dental services, including dental access centres.
Some of the reduction in recorded registration numbers is due to improvements in the methods of removing duplicate registration records, which were first employed by the Dental Practice Board in 1993.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are per head of population in Shropshire. [111665]
Mr. Lammy: The number of national health service dentists working in Shropshire health authority area at 30 September 2001 and the number of dentists per 100,000 population is shown in the table. These figures are on a headcount rather than whole-time equivalent basis and take no account of part-time working. Dentists working in more than one dental service are included in each service, apart from dentists working in both the personal dental service and general dental service (GDS), who are counted in the GDS only.
Dentists working solely in private dentistry are not covered in these figures.
| Number of NHS dentists | |
|---|---|
| General dental service(39) | 143 |
| Salaried service of GDS | 0 |
| Personal dental service(40) | 4 |
| Community dental service(41) | 20 |
| Hospital dental service(41) | 10 |
| Total | 177 |
| Number of NHS dentists per 100,000 population(42) | 40.1 |
(39) The General Dental Service (GDS) figure cover principals on a HA list, assistants and vocational dental practitioners.
(40) The Personal Dental Service (PDS) figure covers dentists working in the PDS who are not working in the GDS.
(41) Figures by Health Authority are rounded to the nearest 10.
(42) ONS mid year population estimates based on the 2001 census.
Electronic Yellow Card Scheme
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported adverse drug reactions via the
13 May 2003 : Column 225W
electronic yellow card scheme there have been in each of the last five months; and what assessment he has made of the scheme. [111132]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 7 May 2003]: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) launched a new electronic yellow card on 31 October 2002. During 2002, 15 electronic reports of suspected adverse drug reactions were received in November and 16 reports in December. During 2003, 25 reports were received in January, 10 reports in February, 20 reports in March and 10 reports in April.
A working group of the CSM and its subcommittee on pharmacovigilance has been formed to advise on strategies for electronic reporting and the criteria for the evaluation of its contribution to pharmacovigilance. The working group has proposed a questionnaire for electronic reporters to obtain their opinions on the usefulness of the electronic yellow card. Reporters are invited to complete this electronic questionnaire after completing an electronic report. An evaluation will be carried out in November 2003, in order to assess the impact of and the nature and quality of information received on electronic yellow cards. The CSM will consider the findings of the evaluation, to inform future enhancements to the electronic yellow card.
The capability for early action on emerging safety issues is reflected in the MCA's high level and operational targets. These reflect the time taken to make newly received spontaneous adverse reaction reports available for review and analysis by pharmacovigilance assessors. The MCA's performance against targets is published annually and in 2001–02 all targets were met or exceeded, against a background of a 55 per cent. increase in spontaneous adverse reaction reports.
Emergency Readmission/Delayed Discharge
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a copy of the quarter 4 2002–03 emergency readmission and delayed discharge figures in the Library. [111047]
Jacqui Smith: The quarter 4 (March 2003) figures on delayed discharge and emergency readmission should be available in June. When they are available, they will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce the allocation to local authorities of the money to offset the effect of delayed discharge penalties. [112443]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 May 2003]: An announcement of individual allocations for local authorities can be expected shortly.
Energy Policy
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement, in relation to his Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years. [108862]
13 May 2003 : Column 226W
Mr. Hutton: Information in relation to the Department's main administrative buildings, plus a number of subsidiary offices, agencies and non-departmental public bodies where available is shown in the tables. Figures in the first table are based on information reported in the first "Sustainable Development In Government" annual report and the earlier "Greening Government" annual reports and have been weather corrected. Expenditure on energy efficiency measures is not recorded separately but is included as part of regular maintenance and updating of ageing equipment.
| Energy Consumption (GWh/y) | Energy Expenditure (£/y) | Energy/m(44) (kW/m(44)/y) | Percentage savings over 1997–98 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 19.4 | 738,355 | 309.16 | — |
| 1998–99 | 22.51 | 786,383 | 358.73 | -16.03 |
| 1999–2000 | 23.12 | 758,908 | 368.44 | -19.18 |
| 2000–01 | 20.81 | 653,639 | 331.65 | -7.27 |
| 2001–02 | 19.59 | 717,423 | 312.14 | -1.97 |
Notes:
Column 1. Energy consumption shown in the table is weather-corrected, using annual degree days relative to the 20-year average for 1990–91. The figures are those reported on for the Central Government Estate campaign, and generally include each Department's main estate plus agencies, but not NDPBs.
Column 2. Energy expenditure: this is actual spend. The Climate Change Levy was paid between April and November 2001; since that date the Department has purchased electricity from a green tariff for its main London estate.
Column 4. Savings over 1997–98: These have been expressed as percentage savings relative to the first year quoted here, and are based on the figures in the preceding column.
Energy consumption figures in the following tables have not been weather corrected.
| Energy consumption (GWh/y) | Energy Expenditure (£/y) | Energy/m(44) (kW/m(44)/y) | Percentage savings over 1997–98 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 0.76 | 17,844 | 217.17 | — |
| 1998–99 | 0.90 | 19,806 | 256.84 | -18.27 |
| 1999–2000 | 0.73 | 16,260 | 209.71 | 3.43 |
| 2000–01 | 0.63 | 12,503 | 179.20 | 17.48 |
| 2001–02 | 0.73 | 17,245 | 209.06 | 3.73 |
| Energy consumption (GWh/y)(44) | Energy expenditure (£/y) | Energy/m(44)(kW/m(44)/y) | Percentage savings over 1997–98 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 0.42 | 22,026 | 134.63 | — |
| 1998–99 | 0.36 | 15,021 | 115.99 | 13.84 |
| 1999–2000 | 0.37 | 16,946 | 117.25 | 12.90 |
| 2000–01 | 0.41 | 15,684 | 130.60 | 2.99 |
| 2001–02 | 0.41 | 20,534 | 131.57 | 2.27 |
(43)
,
(44) The Medical Devices Agency's main building is Hannibal House. The Medical Devices Agency (since April 2003, the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency) occupies 38 per cent. of the building, while the rest is occupied by central DH and other related bodies. Figures in the table have therefore been calculated on the basis of 38 per cent. of total consumption. Only electricity figures are given; gas for heating is supplied via the Landlord's service charge and is not included here.
13 May 2003 : Column 227W
| Energy Consumption (GWh/y) | Energy Expenditure (£/y) | Energy/m(46) (kW/m(46)/y) | Percentage savings over 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 1.29 | 28,730 | 351.05 | |
| 2001–02 | 1.19 | 54,438 | 323.86 | 7.75 |
(45) This table relates to buildings occupied by the Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) in Chester, Reading and Sheffield.
(46) The Agency came into existence in April 2000. Figures for its predecessor body (part of the NHS) have not been sought.
| Energy Consumption (GWh/y) | Energy Expenditure (£/y) | Energy/m(48) (kW/m(48)/y) | Percentage savings over 1997–98 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 3.99 | 128,286 | 398.64 | — |
| 1998–99 | 3.47 | 111,780 | 346.91 | 12.98 |
| 1999–2000 | 3.29 | 92,059 | 329.36 | 17.38 |
| 2000–01 | 3.16 | 85,748 | 315.67 | 20.81 |
| 2001–02 | 3.11 | 92,295 | 310.92 | 22.01 |
(47) The Dental Practice Board is an NDPB based in Eastbourne. The building is shared with other occupiers, but the DPB is responsible for energy efficiency measures. Figures are for the whole building.
The Energy White Paper, "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy", made clear the importance the Government attach to improving energy efficiency in its own estate. This is reflected in several targets. There is currently an interim target of a 1 per cent. per annum ongoing reduction in weather-corrected carbon emissions, pending the development of new indicators and targets based on benchmarking the performance of each department's largest buildings. These new targets are planned to be in place later this year. New targets for Government Departments' use of combined heat and power generated electricity will also be established during 2003.
In addition, the review of Government procurement has identified areas where procurement could reinforce the achievement of these targets, and arrangements are being made centrally for Departments to purchase goods with high energy efficiency standards and which provide good value for money.
The Department of Health has a good record on the environmental management of its own estate and continues to seek ways of improving its performance. Against the Government target that five per cent. of Departments' electricity should come from renewable sources by 30 March 2003, the Department has been purchasing renewable energy for the majority of its London administrative buildings since November 2001. This effectively reduces carbon to air emissions by 39 per cent. per annum.
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