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22 Oct 2003 : Column 629W—continued

Pension Credit

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many applications for pension credit there have been, broken down by region; and how many have been successful; [133639]

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 5WS.

Pensions (Means-testing)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on means testing of state pensions on (a) 1 October 1997 and (b) 1 October 2003. [133588]

Malcolm Wicks: This Government is targeting money where it is most needed. And that means targeting more money on the poorest pensioners. In 1997, the rate of income support from age 60 was £68.80 for single persons and £106.80 for couples. In April 2003, the rate of minimum income guarantee from age 60 increased to £102.10 for single persons and £155.80 for couples.

Pension credit, introduced on 6 October 2003, abolishes the old weekly means test, replacing it with a less intrusive form of assessment. From age 65, most pensioners will have their awards fixed for five years at

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a time. In addition, pension credit is intended to reward rather than penalise those people who have modest amounts of second pension or other savings.

Compared with the 1997 system as a result of the Government's measures including pension credit, on average, from October 2003, pensioner households are £1,250 a year better off in real terms, around £24 extra a week, and the poorest third of pensioner households will have gained £1,600 a year in real terms.

Royal Mint

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the health and safety record of the Royal Mint in Llantrisant. [132979]

Malcolm Wicks: The Royal Mint at Llantrisant is treated by the Health and Safety Executive the same as any other similar manufacturing operation, and irrespective of the issue of Crown Immunity, to the same regulatory regime and standards.

There have been three fatalities since the operation has been on this site; one in 1987, one in 1992 and one in June 2001. The fatality in June 2001 resulted in Crown Censure proceedings. Substantial remedial measures were put in place following this tragedy.

Over the last few years reportable accidents at the Mint have been falling; 34 in 2001, 26 in 2002 and 10 to date in 2003. This is below the national average for manufacturing industry for last year (November to November).

In 2001 a Crown Improvement Notice was served on the Royal Mint requiring risk assessments associated with workplace transport to be carried out. This was complied with fully by the Royal Mint and the Notice discharged.

In June 2003 there was a breakout of molten metal from an induction furnace on site. There were no injuries. Following investigation the Mint management produced an action plan and have acted positively upon this plan, and the advice given by HSE inspectors. No formal enforcement action arose out of this matter.

Activities at the site require that the Royal Mint submits a safety report to the HSE under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999. This report was submitted in January 2002 as required by those Regulations. HSE will carry out inspections and interventions on the Royal Mint site taking into account the safety report, as it would for any other site with similar industrial risks.

HEALTH

Care Homes

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has made to Essex County Council over proposals for the sale of the council's care homes; and if he will make a statement; [132802]

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Dr. Ladyman: The Government cannot influence decisions taken by local councils or decide for them how they should manage their services. It is for local councils to make such decisions and I have no plans to intervene.

The twelve care home homes are being transferred, either through leasehold disposal or sale of the freehold, to the independent sector. I understand the council is pursuing this option as a way of increasing residential care capacity and strengthening partnership working with the independent sector.

Ambulance Service

Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of category B emergency calls were answered within 19 minutes in (a) the East Midlands Ambulance Trust area, (b) Rutland county and (c) Melton borough in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement; [132824]

Dr. Ladyman: This information is not centrally available in the format requested. However, the latest information about the proportion of emergency calls resulting in an ambulance arriving at the scene of the reported incident within the Governments target response times for all ambulance trusts can be found in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin, "Ambulance Services, England 2002/2003".

Copies of the bulletin are available in the Library and also on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.htm.

Cancer Specialists

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 in Hull and the East Riding waited longer than eight weeks after being referred to a cancer specialist. [132396]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Information on the number of patients waiting longer than eight weeks after being referred to a cancer specialist is not collected by the Department. Statistics are collected on the number of

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patients who wait more than 28 days for a first outpatient appointment following general practitioner urgent referral with suspected cancer. For Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust, when the referral was received within 24 hours, one patient waited more than 28 days to see a cancer specialist in 2001–02 and three patients waited longer than 28 days in 2002–03.


Deep Vein Thrombosis

Mr. Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer from the Secretary of State for Transport of 15 September, Official Report, columns 499–500W, on deep vein thrombosis, when the research will be published; and if he will make a statement. [131931]

Miss Melanie Johnson: A research project on the public perceptions of the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the awareness and use of information sources relating to DVT was commissioned earlier this year on behalf of the Aviation Health Working Group. A draft report is currently being peer reviewed and will be published in 2004.

Dementia

Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with dementia live in residential care; and how many people with dementia in residential care are funded by the NHS. [132639]

Dr. Ladyman: Information is not available centrally in the form requested.

Midwifery

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in the last two quarters for which figures are available. [133218]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer issued on 20 October]: Information on the number of beds is collected and published on an annual basis. In 2002–03, the average daily number of open and staffed beds in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust was 1,391.


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