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14 Oct 2003 : Column 50W—continued
Vulnerable Detainees
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the terms (a) vulnerable and (b) difficult group are defined within his Department. [131350]
Paul Goggins: A mentally vulnerable detainee is defined for the purposes of the Codes of Practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) as "any detainee who, because of their mental state or capacity may not understand the significance of what is said, of questions or of their replies". (Code C, Guidance Note 1G). The PACE Codes make specific provision for detainees who are mentally disordered or mentally vulnerable to receive the support of an appropriate adult during their time in police custody (Code C 1.7). Appropriate adults have an important role to play in the custody environment by ensuring that the detained person whom they are assisting understands what is happening to them and why.
Although the term vulnerable is not explicitly applied to juvenile detainees, they are nevertheless regarded as a vulnerable group and PACE Code C requires that they similarly receive the support of an appropriate adult (Code C 1.7).
Section 16 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 defines a group of witnesses in criminal proceedings (other than the accused) who may be eligible for special measures assistance on grounds of age or incapacity. This group is often referred to as vulnerable witnesses.
I am not aware of a specific definition for the term difficult group.
Tagging
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is of tagging an
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offender (a) under and (b) over the age of 18, from the time the tag and equipment is installed up to the lawful removal of the tag. [131168]
Paul Goggins: In the financial year 2002–03, a total of 37,898 persons were made subject to electronic monitoring at a total cost of £63,448,638, resulting in an average cost of £1,674 each. Total and average cost figures are not available for those aged under or over the age of 18 separately. This is because the pricing regime for electronic monitoring is based on the type of scheme rather than the age of the person subject to electronic monitoring, and the different schemes have different age boundaries.
HEALTH
Seized Food Products
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide environmental health officers with the power to issue destruction orders on seized food products. [128655]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Local authority authorised officers have existing general powers to seize food products and take them before a magistrate to have them destroyed. They also have specific powers to seize and destroy illegally imported food products of animal origin.
There are no plans to change these arrangements.
"Achieving the NHS Plan"
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Audit Commission's report, "Achieving the NHS Plan". [130165]
Mr. Hutton: At the time the report was published we welcomed its positive overall assessment of progress. The National Health Service has moved forward since the report's publication with widespread good progress continuing to be made against the NHS Plan.
Alzheimer's Disease
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from patients groups regarding drug therapies for Alzheimer's disease patients. [129521]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government have received a number of representations about the availability of the three drugs which the National Institute for Clinical Excellence(NICE) has recommended for use for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. These drugs should be available on the national health service to all people who meet NICE'S criteria. Where there are any problems with accessing the drugs, this should be brought to the attention of the relevant primary care trust.
There have also been a number of representations about memantine, a drug licensed for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, which is being appraised by NICE in the eighth wave of its work. When considering the funding of any treatment currently being appraised
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by NICE, or where no appraisal has been commissioned, funding authorities are expected to use their existing prescribing arrangements and consider the evidence available to them on the clinical effectiveness of the treatment.
Asbestos
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department and its agencies on (a) asbestos surveys and (b) the management and removal of asbestos since 1 January 2001; and what budget is available to (i) commission asbestos surveys and (ii) manage and remove asbestos from buildings in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004. [130920]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Asbestos surveys and its management are generally included within normal routine maintenance and are not normally separately identifiable. However, using those charges that are identifiable, in the period from January 2001 to date, the Department, it's executive agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies have spent £119,000 on asbestos surveys and £794,000 on the management and removal of asbestos.
For the vast majority of departmental accommodation, the cost of future surveys and on-going management of asbestos is included within general building maintenance budgets and they are not separately identifiable. The information where costs are separately identifiable is:
- Department of Health headquarters (London)—asbestos management budgets of £403,000 for 2003–04 and £600,000 for 2004–05 have been allocated.
National Institute for Biological Standards and Control—asbestos management budget of £110,000 for 2004–05.
Health Protection Agency—asbestos management budgets of £35,000 for 2003–04 and £70,000 for 2004–05.
Asthma
Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he gave to the National Asthma Campaign for research into the causes of asthma in the last two years. [131160]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department does not allocate funds directly to charities for research. The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service. Research funds are provided to research contractors on the basis of individual proposals. The Department also provides support to NHS trusts to allow work funded by others such as the research councils, charities and other funders to be conducted within the NHS. The Department is funding research on air pollution and asthma and a project on the effect of a low allergen indoor environment on exacerbations of asthma.
Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that results of research commissioned by the Department into asthma are cross-referenced for scientific inquiry and international studies. [131161]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department encourages publication of scientifically robust results arising from its commissioned research relating to asthma. Publication is normally in peer reviewed journals indexed on standard bibliographic databases.
Breast Cancer
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the use of proteomics to improve the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis. [127434]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government welcome any new technology that would improve the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis. Before any new technology is introduced we must be sure that it is safe and effective and that quality standards can be maintained.
The use of proteomics for breast cancer diagnosis is a new technique and large-scale studies have not taken place. If these studies prove proteomics to be effective, then the technique may be referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). The use of the technique in the national health service will be based on recommendations by NICE.
Cancelled Operations
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancelled operations there were in each NHS trust in the first quarter of 2003–04; and what percentage of all operations this represented in each trust for that quarter. [131018]
Mr. Hutton: Data on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons at the last minute (i.e. on the day patients are due to arrive, after arrival in hospital, or on the day of their operation) and the percentage of operations cancelled "at the last minute', as a proportion of all general and acute elective activity during the first quarter of 2003–04, have been placed in the Library.
Care Homes
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with representatives of the care industry to overcome the funding problems behind the proposal of the Criminal Records Bureau to introduce full record checks for new staff of care homes prior to their employment. [131323]
Dr. Ladyman: I met with representatives from the National Care Homes Association on 24 September to discuss their concerns about difficulties care homes face when Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are delayed. Further meetings with officials have also been arranged.
As the independent regulator, The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) has the responsibility to ensure care homes meet all their statutory requirements. The NCSC has stated clearly that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place will apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case-by-case basis.
The NCSC issued a press release on 22 September, setting out its approach to CRB checks for care home staff. A copy is available on its website at www.carestandards.org.uk.
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Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new regulations have been imposed on the care home sector, and at what cost, since 1997. [131841]
Dr. Ladyman: The care home sector has long been subject to regulation. The regulations introduced under the Care Standards Act 2000 are based on the regulations under the Registered Homes Act 1984 and establish a more consistent and coherent and regulatory framework which care home providers and others had been calling for.
The regulations introduced under the Care Standards Act which affect care homes are:
- The Care Homes Regulations 2001.
The Children's Homes Regulations 2001.
The National Care Standards Commission (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) Regulations 2001.
The National Care Standards Commission (Registration) Regulations 2001.
It is difficult to give a precise figure for the cost of implementing these regulations, given the lack of reliable detailed information and the fact that not all care homes will be affected equally, but in the case of the Care Homes Regulations and the associated national minimum standards, the RIA estimated an overall cost of £150 million spread over five years. However, these costs will have been reduced for pre-existing care homes, following the decision in February 2003 to relax certain physical environment standards relating to them.
We anticipate that almost all of the cost of meeting the regulations will be passed on to the commissioners of care, in most cases the relevant local authority social services department. To ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to purchase services to meet the needs of their residents, we are providing substantial extra resources for social services.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the care home sector of (a) the requirement within the Care Home Regulations that all new staff engaged by care homes must have been cleared by a Criminal Records Bureau check before starting work and (b) the change in practice between the operation of the regulation since its introduction on 1 April 2002 and the enforcement guidelines operative from 1 October. [131620]
Dr. Ladyman: From 1 April 2002, when the Care Homes Regulations came into force, care home providers have been required to undertake a number of pre-employment checks, including a disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), before they can employ a new member of staff. Meeting this requirement was made difficult because of long delays in the processing by CRB of applications for disclosures. The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) issued interim guidance to care providers about how to address this difficulty.
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Following significant improvements made at the CRB since last summer, it is now processing 90 per cent. of applications within four weeks. The NCSC rightly decided to look again at its guidance because there will now be fewer circumstances in which it will need to make allowance for delayed checks.
As the independent regulator, the NCSC has the responsibility to ensure care homes meet all their statutory requirements. It has stated clearly that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place will apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case by case basis.
The NCSC issued a press release on 22 September 2003 setting out its approach to CRB checks for care home staff. A copy is available on the NCSC website at www.carestandards.org.uk.
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