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Silverlands (Chertsey)

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of converting Silverlands in Chertsey for use as a nurses' home. [131507]

Mr. Hutton: Discussions are taking place with housing associations for the conversion of Silverlands in Chertsey for use as residential accommodation for nurses and other national health service key-workers employed in the area. It is not anticipated that there will be any cost to the NHS for this conversion, as this will be borne by the housing association.

Single Sex Accommodation

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to publish the names of NHS trusts which have not met government standards for (a) single sex accommodation and (b) separate lavatory and washing facilities; and whether West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust has reached these standards. [131625]

Mr. Hutton: The elimination of mixed sex accommodation is one of a number of indicators that determined the performance rating for national health service trusts in 2002–03. Details of the performance ratings, including figures for each NHS trust, are published by the Commission for Health Improvement.

West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust is fully compliant with single-sex accommodation objectives. A small number of hospitals have yet to achieve these objectives on every ward. This is because a number of new hospitals and healthcare facilities are currently in construction, which will on completion bring all wards to the required standards.

Smoking

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new smokers there were (a) under and (b) over 21 in each year since 1997. [131667]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the form requested.

In 2001, the General Household Survey's analysis of regular smokers found that 85 per cent. of men and 79 per cent. of women began smoking regularly when aged 19 or less. 15 per cent. of men and 21 per cent. of women began regular smoking aged 20 or more.

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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to increase smoking cessation services to Asian men. [130061]

Miss Melanie Johnson: As announced in the NHS Cancer Plan the Department is funding a network of local alliances for action on smoking. These alliances form the bridge between treatment services and local authorities, community groups, businesses, schools, churches etc. and will work with the most deprived sections of their communities to make a difference.

Some local alliances, with Asian communities in their areas, are working to raise the awareness of the risk of smoking for example producing materials in ethnic languages, holding events in community centres and encouraging people to use their local cessation services.

NHS stop smoking services are now well established across England, and are achieving good results. At a local level the services target their local ethnic minority populations. The services are available to help all smokers who want to stop. The services provide counselling and support to smokers in a variety of settings in primary or secondary care, and in the community, to complement the provision of smoking cessation aids such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and bupropion (Zyban).

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to introduce legislation to ban smoking in sporting venues. [130170]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We will continue to encourage the voluntary establishment of smoke-free public places, including sporting venues.

Social Services (Elderly People)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on provision of social services to the elderly. [131482]

Dr. Ladyman: The Government are committed to improving access to health and social care services for older people. Examples include: enhanced cataract services; free national health service sight tests; free influenza immunisation; immediate access to information and advice through NHS Direct; the national service framework (NSF) for older people; and guidance on eligibility for adult social care—"Fair Access to Care Services". The then Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) confirmed the Government's commitment to improving health and social care for older people in a statement to the House on 23 July 2002. He announced an overall figure of £1 billion for older people by 2006. Two thirds of the £1 billion will be ring-fenced for specific older people's services.

The Government are committed to local health and social care services planning and working more closely together in respect of older people's services. It is important for agencies to be clear in their respective responsibilities. Regulations that permit health and social care services to pool resources or otherwise jointly commission or provide services, will help localities deliver integrated care.

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The Government are committed to ensuring that standards of health and social services are as high as possible, and variations in levels and quality of service throughout the country are minimised. The NSF for older people and the introduction of national minimum standards for specific services are key policy developments in this regard.

The Government have introduced an independent and more consistent system for the inspection and regulation of residential care and nursing homes, and for the regulation of domiciliary care agencies. The National Care Standards Commission became fully operational on 1 April 2002.

The Government emphasise that health and social care services should be shaped around an individual's needs and not the other way round. Guidance on the single assessment process, published in January 2002, will place older people at the heart of the assessment of their needs and subsequent service planning and delivery.

Unfair age discrimination in health and social care is not to be tolerated and will be addressed by the age-related policy audits introduced in the NSF for older people and "Fair Access to Care Services".

The Government want health and social care services to be more responsive to the needs of older people from minority ethnic backgrounds. In social care, the project, "Developing services for minority ethnic older people", is demonstrating how services can be improved.

The Government recognise that health and social care needs are often best understood and addressed in the context of other needs such as those for housing, lifelong learning and adequate income. For example, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Health published a strategic framework, "Quality and Choice for Older People's Housing", in 2001.

The Government are committed to preventing and tackling abuse of older people in any form. Multi-agency codes of practice are now required from health and social care services. Additionally the Department of Health will establish a Protection of Vulnerable Adults list, which will comprise of a list of people judged unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults in the care sector.

Specialist Stroke Units

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage he estimates of the specialist stroke units in operation by April 2004 will be fully operational and staffed. [131213]

Dr. Ladyman: We monitor progress against the key milestones in the national service framework (NSF) for older people. From the information gathered so far, we know that 83 per cent. of the hospitals which have replied now have plans to have a specialist stroke service in place by April 2004.

Our document, "Improvement, Expansion and Reform", which sets for the national health service a priorities and planning framework for 2003–06, makes clear that implementation of the NSF is a top priority and that the 2004 milestone around specialist stroke services is a key target.

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Tuesday 14 October 2003

PRIME MINISTER

International Treaties

Mr. Shepherd: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the statement of 16 September by the Foreign Secretary, Official Report, column 794, when it became Government policy that international treaties take primacy over national laws; and if he will make a statement. [131483]

The Prime Minister: It is an established principle of international law that a State may not plead its national law to escape its international law obligations, including its treaty obligations. As a matter of UK constitutional law, international treaties have effect in UK national law to the extent that they have been implemented in national law. The UK has given effect to the principle of the primacy of Community law through the European Communities Act 1972.

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Iraq

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his practice to circulate to all Cabinet members papers relating to Iraq. [131682]

The Prime Minister: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose details of the circulation of Cabinet papers in line with exemption 2 of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

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