---

15 Jul 2003 : Column 234W—continued

Registered Nurses

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of registered nurses were aged (a) 20–30, (b) 30–40, (c) 40–50, (d) 50–60 and (e) over 60, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [123927]

Mr. Hutton: Information on the number of qualified nurses employed in the national health service by age-band is shown in the table.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council publishes an annual statistical analysis of the register, which includes a breakdown by age of registered nurses. This can be obtained at www.nmc-uk.org.

NHS Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, by age-band, in England as at 30 September each yearHeadcount by age-band

	All ages	Under 21	21–30	30–40	40–50	50–60	Over 60	Unknown
2002	346,537	124	48,650	105,237	101,468	53,884	5,509	31,665
2001	330,535	149	47,021	103,469	93,766	50,704	4,961	30,465
2000	316,752	131	45,036	103,275	87,725	48,475	4,725	27,385
1999	310,142	167	45,277	104,054	82,164	45,871	4,570	28,039
1998	304,563	168	47,470	105,037	77,119	43,233	4,251	27,285
1997	300,467	535	50,007	103,327	73,427	41,276	4,593	27,302
1996	301,253	208	55,397	104,541	73,096	39,358	4,133	24,520
1995	298,650	291	58,022	101,842	72,345	39,101	4,542	22,507
1994	289,284	163	60,456	97,649	70,161	38,135	4,301	18,419
1993	293,379	63	64,440	94,255	70,565	38,881	4,560	20,615

Percentage of nurses in each age-band

	All ages	Under 21	21–30	30–40	40–50	50–60	Over 60
2002	100.0	0.0	15.5	33.4	32.2	17.1	1.7
2001	100.0	0.0	15.7	34.5	31.2	16.9	1.7
2000	100.0	0.0	15.6	35.7	30.3	16.8	1.6
1999	100.0	0.1	16.0	36.9	29.1	16.3	1.6
1998	100.0	0.1	17.1	37.9	27.8	15.6	1.5
1997	100.0	0.2	18.3	37.8	26.9	15.1	1.7
1996	100.0	0.1	20.0	37.8	26.4	14.2	1.5
1995	100.0	0.1	21.0	36.9	26.2	14.2	1.6
1994	100.0	0.1	22.3	36.1	25.9	14.1	1.6
1993	100.0	0.0	23.6	34.6	25.9	14.3	1.7

Note:

Percentages have been calculated using only nurses whose age is known.

Source:

Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

15 Jul 2003 : Column 235W

Salt

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to bring forward legislation on the reduction of the salt content of processed food if the food industry does not introduce voluntary measures. [122803]

Miss Melanie Johnson: There are no plans to do so at present. The Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency have been in ongoing discussions with food manufacturers and retailers about the levels of salt in specific categories of processed foods, reductions that have been made in the past and the opportunities for further reductions. The principal bodies that have been involved are the Food and Drink Federation, the British Retail Consortium, the British Frozen Food Federation and the Joint Food Service Industry Group.

All of the organisations have approached discussions constructively, with a focus on verifying and recognising salt reductions already achieved by industry and investigating the scope for achieving further reductions.

School Health Checks

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills on introducing annual health checks for schoolchildren up to the age of 16. [124483]

Dr. Ladyman: Ministerial colleagues in the Department of Health regularly meet ministerial colleagues from the Department for Education and Skills, where various issues are discussed. Our discussions often include the best way to provide health care, to support health promotional activity for schoolchildren and young people and to ensure access to any health checks that are necessary for their well being.

Sport

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many staff are employed in his Department to promote sports participation, as part of his public health role; [123909]

(2) how much is spent by his Department to promote the public health benefits of participation in sport and physical exercise. [123910]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health is committed to developing policies that provide people with the skills, information and support to make and sustain healthy lifestyle choices.

The Department of Health funds a physical activity programme to:

support the delivery of Planning and Priorities Framework targets and national service framework milestones;


work with other government departments and stakeholders to enhance opportunities for physical activity; and


develop and communicate the evidence base for physical activity.

It is not possible to provide an overall figure for Department of Health spending to promote the public health benefits of physical activity and exercise, since the

15 Jul 2003 : Column 236W

amount spent by primary care trusts (PCTs) on the promotion of physical activity from the devolved Department of Health budgets varies in each PCT.

Department of Health staff work across topic areas within the whole range of work covering cardio-vascular disease and cancer prevention (which includes promotion of physical activity) according to needs and we do not enumerate specific people on the topic of sports participation. The Department of Health employs a number of organisations and individuals on an ad hoc contractual basis to assist the department in the delivery of specific work items, and also receives support and advice on the evidence base for successful interventions from the Health Development Agency.

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle obesity levels through increasing participation in sport and physical activity; and if he will make a statement. [123911]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Considerable action is being taken across Government to tackle obesity levels, especially through increasing physical activity and improving diet.

The Government have recently set a challenging target for 70 per cent. of the population to be active by 2020. To ensure that there is a co-ordinated and strategic approach to the planning and delivery of sport and physical activity across a diverse range of sectors—such as transport, countryside management and town planning—and in response to this target, a Sport and Physical Activity Board (SPAB) has been established. The SPAB, jointly led by the Department of Health and Department of Culture, Media and Sport and supported by a dedicated delivery team, met for the first time on 8 July 2003.

Another key project in our programme of work are the local exercise action pilots (LEAPs), which we jointly fund with Sport England and the Countryside Agency. LEAPs will test the effectiveness of primary care trust-led interventions to increase access and levels of physical activity in communities based in neighbourhood renewal areas. Involving a range of partners, the activities range from walking, cycling and swimming, to clinical-based programmes that are focusing on diabetes and weight management.

Stroke Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals caring for stroke have not established clinical audit systems to ensure delivery of Royal College of Physicians clinical guidelines for stroke care. [124589]

Dr. Ladyman: In 2001, the Third National Sentinel Audit of Stroke, carried out by the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit of the Royal College of Physicians and led by the Intercollegiate Working Party for Stroke, gave a detailed picture of the way hospitals provide care for stroke patients. The results of this study were published in July 2002.

In the 2001 audit, 98 per cent. of eligible acute trusts submitted clinical data, demonstrating delivery of the clinical guidelines. The next National Sentinel Audit of Stroke is expected to take place in April 2004.

15 Jul 2003 : Column 237W

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Staff

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff the Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which it is responsible has; and what their annual cost will be. [122272]

Mr. Lammy: 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 also placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

More detailed information on the Civil Service is published annually in "Civil Service Statistics", copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. 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 Libraries of both Houses.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs publishes information on staff numbers and costs in the "Departmental Report"; the last report for 2002–03 was published in June 2003.

Each non-departmental public body for which the Department is responsible publishes its own accounts and annual report.

These reports are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

---