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10 Jul 2003 : Column 1013W—continued
Salt Consumption
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the consumption of salt by children; and if he will make a statement. [120882]
Miss Melanie Johnson: We have not received any specific representations on the consumption of salt by children.
In 2001, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) agreed to consider the issue of salt and health, at the request of the Food Standards Agency and the Chief Medical Officer for Wales. In response to SACN's call for submissions, the Co-op, Safeway, British Retail Consortium (BRC), the Food and Drink Federation (PDF) and the Salt Manufacturers Association (SMA) acknowledged that there was a need to assess salt in childhood and/or provide guidance. Submissions are on the SACN website (sacn.gov.uk).
The draft SACN report on salt and health underwent a period of consultation at the end of 2002. Responses are posted on the SACN website. All responses to the consultation were fully considered by the SACN salt sub-group. The minority of organisations who queried the basis of the salt targets for children did so on the extent of the evidence available and the methods used by the sub-group to establish salt targets for children. The sub-group's deliberations are minuted on the SACN website.
Sewel Motions
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and Government bills he has sponsored. [120696]
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Mr. Hutton: Of the bills sponsored by the Department, or which fell to the Department's responsibility, the following were the subject of a Sewel motion on the dates indicated:
- Food Standards Act 1999 1 —23 June 1999
Care Standards Act 2000—22 June 2000
Health and Social Care Act 2001—17 January 2001
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002—17 January 2001
Adoption and Children Act 2002—4 April 2001, 24 October 2001 and 30 January 2002
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002— 22 November 2001
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill—19 June 2003
1 This Bill was previously the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Smallpox Vaccine
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many smallpox vaccines he expects to procure through (a) the first and (b) the second tranche of the order; when he expects to take delivery of both tranches of the vaccine; and if he will make a statement. [108002]
Mr. Hutton: Increasing vaccine stocks is part of the Department's strategy in providing the maximum possible protection to the public and ensuring that the national health service can deal safely with any potential smallpox cases.
The Department of Health has taken full delivery of the first smallpox vaccine procurement. The procurement process for the second tranche of smallpox vaccines will be completed shortly.
We have sufficient stocks of smallpox vaccine, which would be rapidly deployed to contain any outbreak. We are planning for every eventuality and this includes the ability to vaccinate the entire population if necessary.
Speech Therapy
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on increasing the number of universities offering degrees in speech and language therapy. [123395]
Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not had discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about increasing the number of universities offering degrees in speech and language therapy. Commissioning for training in speech and language therapy is a matter for the workforce development confederations (WDCs) to agree with local service providers. In making commissions decisions, WDCs are guided by recommendations from the national Workforce Numbers Advisory Board.
Staff Costs
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff the Department and each Agency and non-departmental public body for which the Department is responsible had in each year since 1997; and what the cost of those staff was in each of those years. [122256]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on staffing levels in the Civil Service are collected from Departments and Agencies twice-yearly, in April and October. Headline figures are published under National Statistics guidelines via a press notice. Those for October 2002 were published on 27 February 2003.
A copy of the press notice, accompanying media brief and supporting tables is available on the world wide web at: www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics Copies of these documents are available in the Library.
More detailed information on the Civil Service is published annually in "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library. The last edition, based on April 2001 data, was published in June 2002. The next edition, based on April 2002 data, is due to be published at the end of July 2003.
The Cabinet Office publishes information on non-departmental public bodies in its annual publication, "Public Bodies". The information includes details of the number of staff employed by each NDPB at 31 March each year. "Public Bodies 2002" was published in January 2003. Copies of "Public Bodies" published each year since 1997 are available in the Library.
The information on staff costs is published in the Department of Health's Annual Report. Copies of the document are also available in the Library.
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Total Quality Management
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of national health service trusts use total quality management systems to improve patient satisfaction with services. [124699]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There is no prescriptive total quality management framework for this. There is considerable freedom therefore for trusts to build strategies and deliver services that are appropriate for that location in partnership with patients and the local community.
Worcestershire Royal Hospital
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he plans to make to representations from the President of the Royal College of Surgeons on the services provided by Worcestershire Royal Hospital. [124348]
Dr. Ladyman: The concerns of the President of the Royal College of Surgeons about services provided by Worcestershire Royal Hospital are being investigated by West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority (SHA). I understand that the SHA and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust are planning to meet the President of the Royal College of Surgeons to discuss his concerns on 16 July 2003.