House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 30 Jun 2003 (pt 33)

30 Jun 2003 : Column 127W—continued

Sunset Clauses

Bob Spink: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause. [120834]

Mr. Lammy: The revised RIA guidance, "Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment", was published on 28 January 2003. It advises policy officials to consider time limits or sunset provision at an early stage of policy development and gives specific examples of where such provisions may be appropriate. The Department for Constitutional Affairs actively promotes the better regulation agenda and the use of sunset provision where they are appropriate.

30 Jun 2003 : Column 128W

Supplementary Estimates

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what plans he has to bring forward supplementary estimates. [121484]

Mr. Leslie: The budget for the Department for Constitutional Affairs will be submitted for consideration by Parliament in accordance with the timetable that will be set by HM Treasury for supplementary estimates, and will reflect fully the effects of the machinery of government changes.

Taylor House

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when he plans to visit Taylor House. [120826]

Mr. Lammy: At present no ministerial visits are arranged to Taylor House.

Transfer of Functions

Mr. Cash: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Secretary of State will make the Transfer of Functions order between the functions of the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Department for Constitutional Affairs. [122247]

Mr. Leslie: Transfer of Functions Orders are made by Her Majesty by Order in Council. It is intended to submit an initial Transfer of Functions Order in relation to the main ministerial functions of the Lord Chancellor for the Privy Council meeting on 17 July.

Universities

Mr. Beith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the duties attached to the Lord Chancellor's Office in respect of universities; and what changes have been made in the arrangement for carrying out the duties. [121025]

Mr. Lammy: The Lord Chancellor acts as Visitor to a number of universities. In some cases he is acting on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen; in others by virtue of his office.

The Visitor may participate in ceremonial occasions and may be called upon to give advice where a university expresses doubt as to its powers under its charter and statutes. However, the most important duty of the Visitor is to determine all disputes arising between the university and its members, other than those concerning the employment or appointment, or termination of employment or appointment, of a member of the academic staff.

No changes have been made to the arrangements for carrying out the Lord Chancellor's duties as Visitor. However, the Government's White Paper "The Future of Higher Education" proposed that an independent adjudicator should be established by legislation to

30 Jun 2003 : Column 129W

review student complaints. The jurisdiction of the Visitor over student complaints is likely therefore to be removed.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Children and Family Court Advisory andSupport Service

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how the set up costs for CAFCASS were spent. [119783]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

In the year preceding CAFCASS's launch, a total of £10.2 million was spent on set up costs of the new organisation; this included capital expenditure of £7.7 million. Over £5 million of this total was spent on an IT service. The other major areas of expenditure were £1.4 million on contract, consultancy and recruitment fees, £452,000 on contract and agency staff and £358,000 on payroll costs.

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what he expects to be the cost of establishing a case record index for CAFCASS; and what consultation he plans to undertake with users before implementation; [119784]

30 Jun 2003 : Column 130W

(3) if she will list by budget heading the savings from an integrated IT system for CAFCASS as anticipated in the document Key Decisions and Working Assumptions for the Children and Family Court Advisory Service; [119786]

(4) when she expects CAFCASS to introduce to service an integrated IT system; and what estimate she has made of its cost. [119787]

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.

CAFCASS has over 100 stand-alone legacy case recording systems, inherited from the three different services unified under CAFCASS. On the legacy systems, each case data item is only entered into one of these systems; no interface exists from these to other systems such as management information or financial systems.

The original project for a case management system was suspended as it was deemed to be too high risk. CAFCASS is now planning a simpler and more cost effective case recording system and this has been independently verified as a more effective approach.

CAFCASS are currently tendering for a supplier to provide the new integrated case recording system. Until that process is completed CAFCASS will not be able to assess the full costs. However, it is expected that the costs will, over a three-year period, be less than the costs of maintaining the existing legacy systems. A user group as been set up to review requirements and supplier proposals prior to selection of the successful tender. CAFCASS hopes to pilot the system later this year and introduce it from 2004.

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HEALTH

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people broken down by (a) gender and (b) age group were treated for abdominal aortic aneurysm in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available; and what the mortality rate for abdominal aortic aneurysm was in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available; [118930]

Mr. Hutton: The table shows the numbers of people who have been treated for abdominal aortic aneurysm by gender and age between 1995–96 and 2001–02. Data collected before 1995–96 were coded differently and are not comparable. It is not possible to provide the mortality rate as the Health Episode Statistics data cannot be used to determine cause of death.

The Department has no record to date of receiving any representations from the National Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Committee.

Finished in year admissions, by sex and age, data years 1995–96 to 2001–02Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (Primary Diagnosis: ICD-10 Codes 171.3 or 171.4⁽²⁸⁾) NHS hospitals England

Age Group (years)

0–14 15–44 45–64 65–84 85+ Not known

Sex-Female

2001–02 — ⁽²⁸⁾— 81 1,381 349 ⁽²⁸⁾—

2000–01 — ⁽²⁸⁾— 87 1,425 385 —

1999–2000 — 6 97 1,395 306 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1998–99 — ⁽²⁸⁾— 99 1,418 333 —

1997–96 — ⁽²⁸⁾— 89 1,436 343 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1996–97 — ⁽²⁸⁾— 98 1,324 306 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1995–96 — 26 112 1,366 272 —

Age Group (years)

0–14 15–44 45–64 65–84 85+ Not known

Sex: Male

2001–02 — 8 892 5,349 511 ⁽²⁸⁾—

2000–01 — 8 1,028 5,754 551 —

1999–2000 — 9 1,023 5,727 479 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1998–99 ⁽²⁸⁾— 18 1,020 5,818 450 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1997–96 — 9 1,043 5,452 504 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1996–97 — 7 993 5,242 447 ⁽²⁸⁾—

1995–96 ⁽²⁸⁾— 9 1,037 5,153 380 —

Age Group (years)

0–14 15–44 45–64 65–84 85+ Not known

Sex: Not known

2001–02 — — — ⁽²⁸⁾— — ⁽²⁸⁾—

2000–01 — — — ⁽²⁸⁾— — —

1999–2000 — — — ⁽²⁸⁾— — —

1998–99 — — — ⁽²⁸⁾— — —

1997–96 — — ⁽²⁸⁾— 18 ⁽²⁸⁾— —

1996–97 — — 7 55 ⁽²⁸⁾— —

1995–96 — ⁽²⁸⁾— 23 85 8 —

	Age Group (years)
	0–14	15–44	45–64	65–84	85+	Not known
Sex-Female
2001–02	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	81	1,381	349	⁽²⁸⁾—
2000–01	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	87	1,425	385	—
1999–2000	—	6	97	1,395	306	⁽²⁸⁾—
1998–99	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	99	1,418	333	—
1997–96	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	89	1,436	343	⁽²⁸⁾—
1996–97	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	98	1,324	306	⁽²⁸⁾—
1995–96	—	26	112	1,366	272	—

	Age Group (years)
	0–14	15–44	45–64	65–84	85+	Not known
Sex: Male
2001–02	—	8	892	5,349	511	⁽²⁸⁾—
2000–01	—	8	1,028	5,754	551	—
1999–2000	—	9	1,023	5,727	479	⁽²⁸⁾—
1998–99	⁽²⁸⁾—	18	1,020	5,818	450	⁽²⁸⁾—
1997–96	—	9	1,043	5,452	504	⁽²⁸⁾—
1996–97	—	7	993	5,242	447	⁽²⁸⁾—
1995–96	⁽²⁸⁾—	9	1,037	5,153	380	—

	Age Group (years)
	0–14	15–44	45–64	65–84	85+	Not known
Sex: Not known
2001–02	—	—	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	—	⁽²⁸⁾—
2000–01	—	—	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	—	—
1999–2000	—	—	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	—	—
1998–99	—	—	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	—	—
1997–96	—	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	18	⁽²⁸⁾—	—
1996–97	—	—	7	55	⁽²⁸⁾—	—
1995–96	—	⁽²⁸⁾—	23	85	8	—

30 Jun 2003 : Column 132W

Total

2001–02 1,811

2000–01 1,897

1999–2000 1,804

1998–99 1,850

1997–96 1,868

1996–97 1,728

1995–96 1,776

	Total


2001–02	1,811
2000–01	1,897
1999–2000	1,804
1998–99	1,850
1997–96	1,868
1996–97	1,728
1995–96	1,776

⁽²⁸⁾ Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed.

Notes:

1. Figures in these tables have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.

2. The primary diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.

3. Finished in year admissions are defined as the first period of care under one consultant within one health care provider that start and finish within the year.

4. Finished in year admissions do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have more than one finished admission within the year.

ICD-10 Codes

1173: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, ruptured

1174: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, without mention of rupture.

Source:

Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

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