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ADHD

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what benefits are available to individuals and their families, following a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. [130263]

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder in children. In Great Britain, a child with this disorder may be entitled to disability living allowance if the symptoms impair the child's normal functioning to the extent that they amount to a severe disability and the normal entitlement conditions 1 are met. The additional benefits which, subject to the normal entitlement conditions, are available to families

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in Great Britain with disabled children who qualify for disability living allowance are shown in the table. The Family Fund Trust, which is funded by government,

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also provides grants to families of severely disabled children in order to ease the stress of their day-to-day life.

Benefits available to families in Great Britain with children who qualify for disability living allowance

Disability living allowance component and rateAdditional benefits available
Care component (all rates) and mobility component (all rates)Disabled child premium in income related benefits(38), or the disability element of child tax credit
Highest rate care componentEnhanced disability premium and the disabled child premium in income related benefits, or the disability element and severe disability element of child tax credit.
Highest or middle rate care componentCarer's allowance(39)
Higher rate mobility componentAccess to the Motability, "Blue Badge" and Vehicle Excise Duty Exemption schemes

(37) Entitlement to disability living allowance depends on the effects that a severe physical or mental disability have on a person's need for personal care and/or their ability to walk. It is the overall picture of need in the individual case, rather than the specific diagnosis that is important. Children under 16 years of age with a severe disability can qualify for any rate of the the care component arid the lower rate mobility component of disability living allowance if they are so severely disabled that their need for attention, supervision or watching over by another person is substantially in excess of that normally required by children of their age. Those who qualify for the highest rate of the care component may also qualify for the higher rate of the mobility component if they exhibit extreme and unpredictable disruptive behaviour as the result of arrested or incomplete development of the brain.

(38) Income support, jobseeker's allowance (income related), housing benefit and council tax benefit.

(39) Entitlement to carer's allowance can also give entitlement to the carer premium in income related benefits.

The benefits available to individuals and their families in Northern Ireland, following a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Budgets

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (a) how many staff are employed and (b) what the total budget in 2003–04 is for the (i) Commission for Health Improvement, (ii) National Institute for Clinical Excellence, (iii) Food Standards Agency, (iv) National Care Standards Commission, (v) General Social Care Council and (vi) Health and Safety Executive. [128332]

Mr. Hutton: The Health and Safety Executive is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions. The other information requested is shown in the following table:

BodyNumberof staffTotal budget for 2003–04 (£ million)
Commission for Health Improvement34735
National Institute for Clinical Excellence4317.8
Foods Standards Agency738119
Meat Hygiene Service1,59728
National Care Standards Commission2,400133.3
General Social Care Council11552.6

Notes:

(i) The staff numbers are the latest available figures expressed as whole-time equivalents.

(ii) The Total Budgets shown are estimated plan forecasts.

(iii) The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a non-Ministerial Department, governed by a Board, and accountable to Parliament and the devolved administrations through Health Ministers. The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) is an executive agency of FSA.)

(iv) The total budget of the FSA includes £8.277 million from the devolved administrations and payments to the MHS in respect of specified risk material (SRM)

(v) FSA staff figures are on a UK basis and include all workers (eg temporary contract workers).

Cancelled Operations

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled in NHS hospitals in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [127495]

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled for non-clinical reasons in each of the last six years. [127321]

Mr. Hutton: Quarterly data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons (i) at the last minute (i.e. on the day patients are due to arrive, or after arrival in hospital, or on the day of their operation), and (ii) the number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a 'last minute' cancellation as part of the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee.

Cancelled operations data at England level and at national health service trust and strategic health authority level are available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data requests.htm

Departmental Computer Security

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been (a) budgeted and (b) spent by his Department since April 2002 on combating (i) computer fraud, (ii) preventing theft of computers and (iii) safeguarding the security information held on computer; and if he will make a statement. [128771]

Mr. Hutton: The Department of Health does not have specific financial budgets for combating computer fraud, computer theft or protecting its information. These areas are subsumed within a wide variety of other budgets. Responsibility, from 1 April 2002 to 1 April 2003, for countering fraud and corruption in all its forms within the Department of Health fell to the National Health Service Counter Fraud Service. From 1 April 2003 this responsibility was transferred to a newly formed special health authority, the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.

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The Department of Health takes the protection of its computers and information systems very seriously and complies with Her Majesty's Government's Manual of Protective Security. Security measures are kept constantly under review and the Department employs a dedicated and professional security unit as part of this commitment. The Department's information technology network achieved compliance with the British Standard 7799 which covers best practice for information security management at the end of 2002. In 2002 the Department of Health awarded a new service support contract to Computer Sciences Corporation and their security expertise was significant in them winning this bid.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the organisations which (a) have been awarded and (b) are being considered for franchises for operating private diagnosis and treatment centres, indicating the location of each centre. [129747]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 September 2003]: The Department of Health announced the shortlist of preferred bidders on 12 September 2003 that will provide new treatment centres to contribute to the Government's drive to cut waiting times for patients. The 26 areas covered by the new scheme along with the shortlist of companies is set as listed. These include two mobile units, which will deliver services to patients in towns across England. All likely preferred bidders are subject to final contract negotiation and agreement and schemes will only proceed if they provide the required level of value for money for national health service commissioners. This represents about two thirds of the total programme. Further announcements will be made in due course.

The treatment centres will be based at the following locations:


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There will be two mobile units offering ophthalmology services in the following areas:


The preferred bidders to run the schemes are:


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