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Food Safety

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding the importation of chicken and other poultry products from China. [126544]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the importation of chicken, poultry meat products and certain other products of animal origin from China for human consumption is currently prohibited under European Union legislation. The FSA has not received recent representations on this matter.

Food Supplements Directive

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the Food Supplements Directive on employment in the food supplement industry. [124901]

Miss Melanie Johnson: It is not yet possible to assess the implications of the Directive for jobs in the food supplement industry. Any impact of the Directive upon jobs will depend upon future developments on lists of permitted vitamins and minerals and their sources and on maximum limits for vitamin and minerals in food supplements, and the nature of the future market for food supplements.

The Government's assessment of the costs associated with implementing the Directive is set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Foundation Trusts

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the source book on good governance for foundation trusts, produced by the external reference group; and if he will make a statement. [125033]

Mr. Hutton: A source book is currently being developed to help NHS Foundation Trust applicants develop their governance arrangements. The first edition will be published shortly and will be supplemented, over time, to include learning from the experience of first-wave applicants. It has been put together by the Department of Health, drawing on a wide range of contributions from business, public and not for profit and mutual organisations.

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funds have been made available to each of the trusts applying for foundation status to contribute towards the cost of each of their applications. [126221]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 16 July 2003]: National health service trusts that have entered the preparatory stage for NHS foundation trust status have been given £100,000 to contribute to the costs of project managing for establishment as an NHS foundation trust. The Department of Health is also making available a wide

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ranging support package for applicants, which is designed to minimise the cost associated with the application.

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the official risk assessment for the foundation hospital policy and for each applicant trust. [126222]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 16 July 2003]: Subject to legislation, copies of any application made to the Independent Regulator for authorisation as a national health service foundation trust will be publicly available. The application will contain information on, and analysis of, any risks associated with the application.

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the independent financial assessment of each trust applying for foundation status. [126223]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 16 July 2003]: The process of independent financial assessment has not yet been undertaken.

Free Prescriptions (Students)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances full-time students are eligible for free prescriptions. [126778]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Full time students are entitled to free national health service prescriptions if they are aged under 19. Other full time students are entitled to free prescriptions if they hold a maternity or medical exemption certificate; are named on a Tax Credit NHS exemption certificate; or hold an NHS Low Income Scheme exemption certificate for full help.

Patients who pay charges and need frequent prescriptions may benefit from purchasing a prescription prepayment certificate.

General Medical Council

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of the General Medical Council. [127036]

Mr. Hutton: Since becoming Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend has not yet had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the General Medical Council.

However, my right hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) met representatives of the CMC on 20 May 2003.

GP Lists

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average list size of GPs in England; what his Department sets as the (a) optimum and (b) maximum list size for a GP; and if he will make a statement. [126738]

Mr. Hutton: Data on the number of general practitioners and patients is published annually. The latest edition, "Statistics for General/Medical Practitioners in England: 1992–2002", is available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0303.pdf

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These data show that on 30 September 2002 the average lists size was 1,838, or slightly more than half of the permitted maximum.

For GPs providing general medical services, the maximum list size is normally 3,500 but a GP may have up to 2,000 additional patients if he or she employs another GP-qualified doctor as an assistant.

The optimum list size will vary from practice to practice, reflecting local demographic and socio-economic factors, accessibility and patient choice among many other factors.

The average list size continues to fall, and is 4 per cent. lower in 2002 than it was in 1992.

Health Care Assistants

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role of health care assistants in the NHS; whether he proposes to make changes to the role; and if he will make a statement. [126813]

Mr. Hutton: A wide range of jobs have the title of health care assistant. Traditionally, health care assistants have usually worked on hospital wards in support of nursing staff, or have supported community nurses. However, the role is increasingly being developed to provide support to all health and social care professions. Each post is designed locally to meet service needs, and is tailored to ensure the delivery of efficient, high quality care.

"Agenda for Change", the new national health service pay system, will allow health care assistant staff to be fairly rewarded for what they actually do on the basis of equal pay for work of equal value, rather than being paid on the basis of current job title.

Health Laboratories

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) public health laboratories and (b) NHS trust laboratories which have refused to provide microbiology services for food, water and environmental testing; and if he will make a statement. [125012]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We are aware of only one case where a former Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) laboratory in Nottingham could not accept samples of swimming pool water for microbiological testing. This has now been resolved.

We are not aware of any other public health or national health service laboratories which have refused to provide microbiology services for food, water and environmental testing. The transition of this service from the PHLS to the Health Protection Agency has been managed from the outset on a 'business as usual' basis.

Hearing Aids

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the waiting times for hearing aids in each of the primary care trusts in Devon. [125428]

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Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 14 July 2003]: The Department does not collect information on waiting times centrally for non consultant-led specialities such as audiology.

Hospitalisations (Cold)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people were hospitalised as a result of cold in each (a) primary care trust and (b) acute trust in each year since 1997. [126348]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not collated centrally by primary care trust. The information for each national health service trust has been placed in the Library.

Hospital Star Ratings

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial implications are for the (a) South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, (b) Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust and (c) Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust of the decision to award them one star status. [126960]

Dr. Ladyman: There are no direct financial penalties for National Health Service organisations awarded one star for their performance in 2002–03, although one-off capital bonus payments are reserved for three star organisations. One star organisations may receive assistance from the Modernisation Agency in the form of specific programmes of tailored support to help improve performance.

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