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7 Jul 2003 : Column 655W—continued
Dentistry
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve career opportunities in dentistry for (a) nurses, (b) therapists and (c) hygienists. [122627]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We are working with the General Dental Council on a review of the extent to which professionals complementary to dentistry can undertake the practice and business of dentistry in order to develop team working in dentistry. We are also considering proposals for the development of competency-based modular training programmes, which would, in the longer-term, facilitate movement between the different dental professions.
Electronic Documents
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the electronic document and electronic record management systems which have been procured by the public authorities listed in Parts I to V of Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for which he is responsible. [116394]
Mr. Hutton: The Department does not keep central records of systems bought by the authorities listed in Parts I to V of Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The Department is currently rolling out an electronic records management product developed in-house, while a number of solutions are being considered for the Department's executive agencies to meet local business needs.
Euthanasia
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will make it its policy to oppose legislation that seeks to legalise euthanasia; and if he will make a statement. [124182]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government welcomes public debate on this issue and will listen carefully to the arguments put forward by all sides. However, any proposal to change the law in this area would need to be considered very carefully and the Government have no plans to change the current law.
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Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill. [124183]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government welcomes public debate on this issue and we shall take careful note of what is said in the debates as the noble Lord Joffe's Bill is considered. However, any proposal to change the law in this area would need to be considered very carefully and we have no plans to change the current law.
Food Supplements
Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans (a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency have to meet the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority to discuss the concerns of UK industry on the omission from Annex 1 and Annex 2 of the Food Supplements Directive of nutrients permitted for use in the UK; [120640]
- (2) what recent meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the Health Food Manufacturers Association to discuss the Food Supplements Directive; what issues were discussed at the meetings; and what action he intends to take as a result. [120641]
Miss Melanie Johnson: My hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, (Ms Blears) met with representatives of the Health Food Manufacturer's Association to discuss the Food Supplements Directive on 9 June 2003. Issues covered in discussion fell under four main headings: nutrients and nutrient sources missing from Annexes I and II in the Food Supplements Directive and requirements for safety dossiers; the recently-published report of the expert group on vitamins and minerals and advice on safe upper levels therein; future setting of maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements at European Union level; and plans for future action on chromium picolinate.
The Government, represented by the Food Standards Agency, is pressing the European Food Safety Authority for an urgent, substantive meeting with relevant parties to discuss dossier requirements and expects a positive response soon. The European Commission supports this move. The objectives of such a meeting would be to explain problems faced by the United Kingdom food supplements industry resulting from the omission of nutrients and nutrient sources from the Annexes to the Food Supplements Directive; and to explore the potential for simplified dossiers to be presented for vitamin and mineral sources with a long history of safe use and the potential for read-across between dossiers for substances which are likely to have similar toxicological profiles
Further, to ensure that the Government's policy objectives for regulation of food supplements in the EU are met, the Government continues to press for maximum limits for nutrients in food supplements to be based on thorough risk assessment and set at levels which protect public health, but which neither unnecessarily
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limit consumer choice nor unduly restrict trade. The Government continues to press this view strongly with other Member States at every opportunity.
Foundation Trusts
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the percentage of electors who will register to become voting members of a foundation trust; and what estimate he has made of likely turnout. [123579]
Mr. Hutton: The membership of a National Health Service foundation trust must be sufficient to ensure that a board of governors can be elected fairly and transparently according to its constitution. Each NHS foundation trust's constitution must also set a minimum number of members, which must be appropriate for that NHS foundation trust, and which will form part of the local consultation on governance issues.
General Anaesthetic
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children complained of pain during operations using general anaesthetic in the last three years. [122393]
Mr. Hutton: This data is not collected centrally.
Health and Social Care(Community Health and Standards) Bill
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that (a) powers to make regulations under clause 60 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill shall be exercisable by Statutory Instrument and (b) that such instruments shall not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution, of each House of Parliament. [120305]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Subsections 174(4) and (5) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill stipulate that any power to make regulations under this Act is exercisable by statutory instrument.
The regulation making powers provided to the Secretary of State under sections 60(1), 60(7) and 60(8) will therefore subject to negative resolution procedure.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that a court order from a County Court should be issued prior to the Commission for Health Care Audit and Inspection entering and inspecting (a) any premises owned or controlled by (i) an NHS body, (ii) a local authority and (b) other premises. [120391]
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to clause 100 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, whether it is his policy that advice given to him by the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection should be done by written report which should be published. [120234]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: Subsection (4) of new section 5A of the Care Standards Act 2000, as inserted by Clause 100, places the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) under a duty to provide advice or information on such matters in relation to independent health services as the Secretary of State may request. It will be for the Secretary of State to decide whether or not to publish such advice.
Subsection (3) of new section 5A also places a general duty on the CHAI to keep the public informed about the provision of independent health services in England and in particular about the availability and quality of such services. It will be for CHAI to determine how best to provide and publish such advice.
Health Service Ombudsman
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer by the Prime Minister of 25 June 2003, Official Report, column 1040, how the conclusions and recommendations in the Health Service Ombudsman Report (HC399) would give rise to the cost consequences he described. [124040]
Dr. Ladyman: The costs consequences described would flow from making all personal care free.
Health Services (Turkish Cypriots)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what health services will be available on the NHS to Turkish Cypriot visitors to the UK after Cyprus joins the EU; and if he will make a statement. [123187]
Mr. Hutton: The health care co-ordination arrangements contained in Regulations (EEC) 1408/71 and 574/72 apply to all persons legally resident in a member state who are insured for health care in a member state. Insured persons who temporarily visit another Member State are entitled to immediately necessary health care in the state being visited. This will apply equally to Turkish Cypriot visitors to the United Kingdom if the Turkish part of Cyprus accedes.
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