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Autism

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what day care facilities are available to those suffering from autism; and if he will make a statement on the importance of interaction to autism sufferers. [127954]

Dr. Ladyman: Many people with autism also have a learning disability and may make use of learning disability day care services. Where people on the autistic spectrum have mental health problems, they may find mental health day care services helpful. Adults with Asperger's Syndrome or higher functioning autism are not precluded from using learning disability services, where appropriate, and may ask statutory services for an assessment of their social functioning and communications skills in order to establish their level of need.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is given to carers of autistic children; what other support services are available; and on what wage levels carers are placed. [127955]

Dr. Ladyman: The Learning Disability White Paper, "Valuing People" (Cm 5086), published in March 2001, details training and qualification requirements for staff working with adults and children who have both autism and learning disability. It states that, from April 2002, all new entrants to learning disability care services should be registered for qualification on the learning disability awards framework (LDAF) and that by 2005, 50 per cent. of front-line staff should have achieved at least National Vocational Qualification Level 2.

The LDAF contains two vocational qualifications—a level 2 certificate and a level 3 certificate in working with people with learning disabilities. Both these certificates include a module about autism. The LDAF modules can be used as part of the induction and foundation training that new care staff should undertake.

Parent carers of autistic children receive help from local authorities (under section 17 of The Children Act) and the National Health Service on how best they can support their child. This could include skills training, both on an individual basis and in groups. Much of this support is provided in partnership with parents in their own homes and takes into account the family's individual circumstances. Other support available includes the National Autistic Society's "Help" programme, which offers training to parents in caring for their newly diagnosed autistic children. The Government helped to fund the development of this programme.

Carers of people with autism may be employed by local authorities, local or national voluntary sector organisations such as the National Autistic Society and the Disabilities Trust or private sector care providers. The wage levels of paid carers are a matter for individual employers and would take account of the grade and experience of the individual staff.

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Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission an economic analysis of the (a) cost in public funds of treatment of autism and the (b) benefits of funding preventative support services for people with autism spectrum disorders and their families. [127855]

Dr. Ladyman: We have no plans to commission an economic analysis of the costs associated with autism. A paper on this subject in 2001 by Jarbrink and Knapp ("Autism" Vol 5(1) pp 7–22) gives estimates of the costs of autism and points up the long-term cost-effectiveness of early interventions. Early diagnosis and early intervention are key issues being addressed as part of the development of the children's national service framework (NSF), which will set national standards for health and social services departments. We have already announced that autism will be used as an exemplar in the NSF. This is being informed by the National Autism Plan for Children which was published in March.

Babies

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the possible health risks associated with parents falling asleep in bed with their babies or young infants. [127435]

Dr. Ladyman: There is an association between parents falling asleep in bed with their babies and the tragic occurrence of cot death. The Department has issued guidance which addresses this hazard, details of which are available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/cotdeath/. There is also the possibility that an adult may roll over while asleep and smother their baby, or that the baby might fall from the bed and so be injured. The Child Accident Prevention Trust—a voluntary organisation which receives grant aid from the Department of Health—has issued guidance entitled "Keep your Baby Safe". This addresses health risks associated with parents falling asleep with their babies.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary o f State for Health pursuant to his answer of 8 May, Official Report, column 866W, on baby vaccines, if he will publish the responses to the letters of 1 April from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to UK vaccine marketing authorisation holders asking for an update on progress in reducing or removing thiomersal from vaccines. [123459]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer on 3 July]: The information provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is commercially sensitive and its confidentiality is guaranteed by The Medicines Act 1968. The Medicines Act 1968. The MHRA cannot publish the manufacturers' responses (which are still being received). The MHRA is continuing to work with the vaccine manufacturers to make every effort to remove or reduce the thiomersal component present in vaccines, including those used in the childhood immunisation programme. The only vaccine routinely administered to babies in the UK which contains thiomersal is diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis (DTwP). MMR HiB, oral polio and meningitis C vaccines used in the UK childhood vaccination programme are all thiomersal free.

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Bilateral Health Arrangements

Mr. John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the non-EEA countries and territories with which the UK has bilateral health arrangements. [128090]

Mr. Hutton: A full list of the non-EEA countries and territories with which the United Kingdom has bilateral health arrangements is given in pages 28–31 of the Department of Health leaflet "Health Advice for Travellers", which is available in the Library together with information on the services available free or at reduced cost in each of the countries or territories concerned.

Blood Pressure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government has to publicise information on blood pressure. [127721]

Miss Melanie Johnson: High blood pressure—hypertension—is a major risk factor for stroke, coronary heart disease and other illnesses such as kidney disease and aortic aneurysm.

Blood pressure is part of the core data collected each year by the Health Survey for England. Tables on trends in blood pressure are updated each year and released on the Department of Health website. At the same time a main report is published together with a summary of Key Findings. For 2002 the report will focus on the health of children and young people and will include a section on blood pressure. Publication of the report for the 2002 survey is expected at the end of this year.

In order to increase public awareness of hypertension and its attendant risks, as well as the importance of prevention and early detection, the Department of Health provided funding in 2002 for the Blood Pressure Association's "National Blood Pressure Testing Week". With 100,000 people tested at 1,350 blood pressure testing stations nation-wide, the purpose of the campaign is to raise public awareness of high blood pressure and encourage everyone to know their own blood pressure numbers. The Department of Health is also supporting the 3rd National Blood Pressure Testing Week (15–21 September 2003).

In his Annual Report for 2002 on the state of the public health the Chief Medical Officer reviewed progress in the area of high blood pressure, which was one of the five areas covered in his 2001 report.

Prevention of hypertension through a healthy lifestyle, including diet and physical activity is key. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a consumer leaflet designed to raise awareness of salt intake, how to cut down on salt and the health benefits of reducing salt in the diet. The FSA regularly publishes a range of surveys and a survey showing the salt levels in certain food products will be published later this year.

Bone Injuries

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent in England on the prevention of (a) all injuries as a result of a fall, (b) hip fractures and (c) osteoporosis among older people in the last 12 months. [127591]

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Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not available centrally.

Bovine Derivative Bone Grafts

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people in England receiving bovine derivative bone grafts subsequently contracted BSE or CJD. [127544]

Miss Melanie Johnson: In England only one patient with CJD is known to have had a bone graft. The graft was derived from the patient's own bone and was not bovine derived.

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