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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1278W—continued
Diabetes
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of diabetics were offered screening for diabetic retinopathy in the last year for which figures are available. [130326]
Ms Rosie Winterton: These data were not collected prior to April 2003. Since this date, information on screening for diabetic retinopathy is being collected from the national health service. Annual figures will not be available until May 2004.
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the NHS is taking to develop support and promote the management of insulin-dependent diabetics by means of dose adjustment for normal eating. [130469]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE) is an educational programme aimed at people with type 1 diabetes to enable them to take better control of their diabetes and to teach them how to adjust their insulin injections to fit their life and food rather than the other way around. The Department provided £500,000 to support the development of the DAFNE programme in the financial year 2002–03. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended that
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structured education be offered to all people with diabetes at the time of diagnosis and then, as required, based on a formal, regular assessment of need. They also considered that the DAFNE programme may be a suitable option for individuals with type 1 diabetes, being one means of enabling people to self-manage this condition.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average intervals were between follow-up appointments at diabetic clinics in each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available. [131032]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected or recorded centrally.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis certain geographical areas were selected to participate in the procurement programme for diagnostic and treatment centres. [129591]
Mr. Hutton: In autumn 2002, the national health service undertook a national capacity planning process lead by local NHS commissioners. This identified a range of capacity gaps that needed to be met for the NHS to meet the waiting time target set for 2005. Where the NHS was not able to demonstrate robust plans to meet this demand, the residual activity was tested with the independent sector.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role Augmentis has played in the process of developing diagnostic and treatment centres. [129592]
Mr. Hutton: To facilitate the procurement process for independent sector treatment centres, the Department has offered central project management and commercial support to local national health service sponsors to help them in this new and innovative programme.
Augmentis was one of the companies that was successful in the competitive tendering process that was run to identify suitable project support.
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's estimates were of the savings from operations carried out at NHS diagnostic and treatment centres; and how far these have been borne out by experience. [130649]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 16 September 2003]: The purpose of National Health Service treatment centres is to provide additional capacity to treat more patients more quickly, in a modern streamlined environment. Treatment centres were not set up with the express aim of saving money, although evidence from other countries shows that they are likely to be a cost-effective and safe way of undertaking many operations. They have, however, already begun to make an important contribution to cutting waiting times for treatment.
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements have been made to provide residential accommodation for staff from overseas who are to work in private sector diagnostic and treatment centres. [131050]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 18 September 2003]: Additional overseas staff working in independent sector treatment centres will be employed by the independent
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sector providers running these new units. They will be responsible for providing residential accommodation for these staff should that be necessary.
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of professional staff who will be employed in private sector diagnostic and treatment centres; and how many of them will be on secondment from the NHS. [131052]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 18 September 2003]: The precise number of professional staff working in these new units will be finalised in the next stage of negotiations leading to contract close.
Diet
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many five-a-day co-ordinators are employed in each NHS trust; [127372]
- (2) how many five-a-day project co-ordinators have been appointed in each primary care trust. [130365]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Sixty-six primary care trusts (PCTs) are part of a programme being funded by the lottery-funded new opportunities fund to lead five-a-day initiatives in their communities to employ a local co-ordinator. By 15 September, 46 of these 66 co-ordinators had been appointed; the other 20 PCTs expect to appoint by the end of the year. In addition one PCT receives a grant from the new opportunities fund to employ seven full-time and three part-time regional co-ordinators and one part-time supra-regional co-ordinator.
All PCTs lead in their communities on public health issues, including healthy eating projects to increase fruit and vegetable consumption supported by local five-a-day co-ordinators.
Information is not collected centrally on such projects or support staff.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population (a) in total and (b) under the age of 18, broken down by social class, has been classified as obese in each of the past 10 years. [130057]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. Available information on adult obesity by social class is shown in the table. Figures are from the health survey for England and cover years 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2001.
| Social class of Head of Household | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey | I | II | IIIN | IIIM | IV | V | Total |
| year | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Men | |||||||
| 1994 | 9.9 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 15.1 | 15.0 | 14.0 | 13.8 |
| 1996 | 11.8 | 16.6 | 16.3 | 18.9 | 14.7 | 18.2 | 16.4 |
| 1998 | 11.9 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 20.5 | 16.1 | 17.9 | 17.3 |
| 2001 | 14.5 | 20.8 | 18.9 | 23.5 | 23.4 | 19.0 | 21.0 |
| Women | |||||||
| 1994 | 11.5 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 19.7 | 21.9 | 22.5 | 17.3 |
| 1996 | 13.2 | 15.2 | 16.0 | 21.3 | 22.1 | 27.1 | 18.4 |
| 1998 | 15.1 | 18.4 | 18.9 | 24.4 | 24.9 | 27.5 | 21.2 |
| 2001 | 14.1 | 19.7 | 21.5 | 27.0 | 30.5 | 28.5 | 23.5 |
Trend information on children's obesity by social class is not available. Young people aged 16–18 are classified as adults. The following analyses therefore cover children under age 16. Social class comparisons of the percentage of children in BMI quintiles were published in the Health Survey for England—The Health of Young People 95–97 table 3.15, a copy of which is available in the Library. Overall trends show that obesity in children is rising. Although there is no generally accepted consensus on the definition of obesity in childhood, all recent studies, no matter which definition is used, have shown that the prevalence of obesity is increasing in children in England.
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| 1996 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage obese(76) | 12.1 | 15.6 |
(76) Equal to or greater than 95 BMI centile (Cole TJ, Freeman JV, and Preece MA. Body mass index reference curves for the UK, 1990. Arch. Dis. Child. 1995; 73: 25–29).
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the percentage of food advertising that is broadcast during children's television viewing times on (a) terrestrial television and (b) cable and satellite children's television channels; and what assessment he has made of the percentage of food advertising broadcast during children's television viewing times on (i) terrestrial and (ii) cable and satellite children's television channels that is promoting high calorie, low nutrient foods. [130083]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency have funded an independent expert review of the evidence regarding the effect of promotional activity on children's eating behaviour, which covers television advertising and will identify research papers on a range of relevant topics.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take powers to restrict the use of free toys and well-known children's film and television characters in the promotion of fast food to children. [130084]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency is currently considering the issue of the promotion of food to children. They have funded an independent expert review of the evidence regarding the effect of promotional activity on children's eating behaviour, which will be published this autumn.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what booklets the Food Standards Agency published on healthy eating in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03. [130093]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In 2000–01, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) re-branded booklets it inherited from the Health Education Authority and the Department on healthy eating.
In 2001–02, the FSA published the following life stage leaflets on healthy eating entitled: "While you are pregnant"; "Thinking of having a baby"; "Breastfeeding"; "Feeding your baby"; "Feeding your toddler"; "Feeding your growing child"; "Eating for later in life"; and "Men and food".
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In 2002–03, the FSA published a series of leaflets: "Healthy Eating Sugars"; "Healthy Eating Salt"; "Healthy Eating Fats"; and "Labelling claims".
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what foods the chemical acrylamide is present in; and what research has been done into the effects of acrylamide on health. [130094]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that acrylamide has been found to occur in a wide range of home-cooked and processed foods. These include chips, crisps, bread and breakfast cereals. It has not been found in uncooked or boiled foods, and appears to be formed during cooking by methods such as frying, roasting and baking, which involve higher temperatures.
Acrylamide has been shown to cause various types of cancer in laboratory animals. It is considered to have the potential to cause cancer in humans. Research into the effects of acrylamide on health is being conducted nationally and internationally.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the additives permitted in (a) conventional food and (b) organic food. [130100]
Miss Melanie Johnson: A list of all European Union permitted food additives has been created by the Food Standards Agency. This list can be accessed by using the following link to the Food Standards Agency website: http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/additivesbranch/enumberlist
Food additives in organic foods are limited to those listed in Section A of Annex VI of Regulation (EEQ2092/91, which governs organic production in the EU. A list of these can be found on page 66 of the UKROFS standards at http://www.defra.qov.uk/farm/orqanic/ukrofs/standard.pdf.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to change the number of additives allowed in food. [130101]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that food additives legislation is harmonised throughout the European Union. All additives permitted in food have been rigorously assessed for safety by the independent scientific committees that advise the European Commission and the UK Government on food safety issues. Any changes to the number of additives allowed in food would be on the basis of advice from these expert committees.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government has to try and reverse the decline in minerals in food. [130103]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The evidence on whether there has been a decline in the mineral content of foods generally is unclear. This is due to differences over time in study methodologies and because mineral levels naturally occurring in foods can vary widely due to a range of factors.
The overall balance of the diet is more important than the nutrient content of individual foods. It is for this reason that Government activity has concentrated on promoting the uptake of a healthy balanced diet.
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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to make independent testing of food additives an automatic requirement. [130117]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Safety data on additives, whether provided by manufacturers or from independent sources, are thoroughly assessed by the independent expert committees that advise the Government or the European Commission before authorisation is granted. Data that are submitted for evaluation by committees must satisfy good laboratory practice requirements and also comply with any guidelines laid down by the expert committee.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Government has undertaken into the health consequences that might occur when several food additives are combined in a single product. [130118]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently funding a research project entitled "Development of methods for the assessment of the health effects from mixtures of food additives". This study is investigating four additives, chosen because they have a similar mode of action and is due to be completed in 2005. The FSA has also recently established a new research programme on mixtures of chemicals. The main focus is on residues of pesticides and veterinary medicines, but the results will provide more general information on possible effects of mixtures of chemicals in food including additives.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to remove a star from trusts where the percentage of obese people increases. [130159]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Commission for Health Improvement is the independent regulator of national health service performance and is responsible for developing indicators and publishing NHS performance ratings. Ministers will continue to agree key targets and the priority areas to be covered in the ratings, but are not responsible for their calculation.
The prevention and management of obesity is at the heart of many of the Government's priority areas, as set out in the NHS Plan, the cross-cutting review on health inequalities, national service frameworks and the priorities and planning framework.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the European Commission regarding the proposal to ban health claims made about food products. [130174]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the European Commission has adopted a proposal that seeks to better regulate health claims on foods, allowing them only when evidence to substantiate the claim has been accepted by the European Food Safety Authority. This proposal is currently under negotiation in Brussels.
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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the recent proposals of the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust in relation to Toast House. [130393]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department is aware of the work of the obesity awareness and solutions trust (TOAST).
The Department provided funding for TOAST through a Section 64 grant in 2002. The funding finished in March 2003. TOAST have updated the Department on their proposals in relation to TOAST house, which may complement the Department's work to tackle overweight and obesity.
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ban the food additives (a) tartrazine, (b) quinoline yellow, (c) sunset yellow FCF, (d) cochineal, (e) carmoisine, (f) amaranth, (g) poncean 4R, (h) erythrosine, (i) indigo carmine, (j) caramel, (k) black PN, (l) annatto, (m) benzoic acid, (n) sodium benzoate, (o) sulphur dioxide, (p) sodium nitrate, (q) sodium nitrate, (r) butylated hydroxyanisole and (s) butylated hydroxytoluene; and if he will undertake further research to identify additives that may exacerbate hyperactivity in children. [130401]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that there are no plans to ban these additives. Legislation on food additives is harmonised throughout the European Union and all additives permitted for use in food, including those listed, have been rigorously assessed for safety by the independent scientific committees that advise the European Commission and the United Kingdom Government. Any ban on the use of these additives would be on the basis of advice from these expert committees.
In May this year the FSA put out a research call inviting new proposals to examine whether there are any links between certain food additives and behaviour in children. Proposals have now been received and are currently being appraised by an independent panel of experts.
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