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Cleveland Coroner

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Department expects to announce the outcome of the inquiry into the conduct of the Cleveland Coroner. [136570]

Mr. Leslie [holding answer 4 November 2003]: His Honour Judge Milford QC, who is conducting the investigation into Coroner Sheffield's conduct, has informed the Department for Constitutional Affairs that he expects to submit his report by the end of November 2003. My noble Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor will wish to give the report his detailed consideration.

While my noble Friend will be keen to bring this matter to as swift a conclusion as possible, it is not possible to set a timetable for announcing the outcome at this stage.

Court Buildings

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of the court buildings in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley. [136980]

Mr. Leslie: In Lancashire, as elsewhere, it is our intention to make better use of the joint estate (Court Service and Magistrates' Court Service). Where county court operations can be moved from unsatisfactory buildings into more modern magistrates courts they will be, so improving facilities for users and making efficiency savings. It is too early to say specifically where in Lancashire this will happen until feasibility studies have been completed but Chorley may be affected. The Lancashire Magistrates' Courts Committee has no plans to close any of the courts for which it is responsible.

A new court complex is being considered for Blackpool to house the county court and possibly the Magistrates' Court. The current buildings have inadequate facilities, are in poor condition and Blackpool County Court could benefit from additional court rooms.

The current buildings that house Blackburn County Court and Blackburn Magistrates' Court are recognised to be outdated. There are proposals to provide a new building in Blackburn to house both courts.

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Fatal Accidents

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to change the level of damages payable for bereavement in fatal accident claims; and if he will make a statement. [136827]

Mr. Lammy: The level of bereavement damages was increased from £7,500 to £10,000 with effect from 1 April 2002. The Government are currently considering how best to provide for further changes in future.

HEALTH

Residential Care

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether self-funded residents in care homes whose income is above the maximum amount that qualifies for pension credit will receive a flat rate of savings credit. [137133]

Dr. Ladyman: Self-funders in care homes do not receive any savings disregard. The savings disregard only applies to council supported residents. Self funders in care homes would receive the exact level of pension credit to which they were entitled.

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the United Kingdom have been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in the last 12 months. [136043]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of people with age related macular degeneration is not collected centrally. However, a study sponsored by the Macular Disease Society in 2001 estimated that there were 182,000 people with age related macular degeneration with a best eye visual acuity below that judged appropriate for certification as blind or partially sighted.

Ambulance Services

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the most recent ambulance response times within the constituency of Romford are; and what the figures are for (a) nearby population centres in Essex and (b) other London boroughs. [136481]

Mr. Hutton: Information on response times is collected on a national health service trust basis. A copy is available in the Library and at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.pdf.

Angiogram Patients

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what differences there are in the guidance for admission of angiogram patients in cases where the patient is (a) already hospitalised and (b) not hospitalised. [135759]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Patients that are hospitalised are likely to be prioritised for angiography for a range of clinical reasons. Most commonly, they will be

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experiencing severe or recurrent pain or they may have suffered some myocardial damage already. We would expect each hospital to have local protocols in place for managing such patients.

Arthritis

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 163W, how much funding has been allocated for the period (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2005–06 to primary care trusts for the implementation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on TNFa therapy. [133918]

Mr. Hutton: The funding made available in primary care trust allocations for 2003–04 to 2005–06 to meet recommendations of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence was not separately identified.

Asperger's Syndrome

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many current residents at secure mental hospitals have been assessed as having Asperger's syndrome. [136952]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 6 November 2003]: Information about the number of current residents in secure mental hospitals who have been assessed as having Asperger's syndrome is not available. However, in 1999 the National Autistic Society published the results of a study of 1,305 residents of the three special (now high security) hospitals in England, which was funded by the Department through the Section 64 scheme of grants to voluntary organizations. This identified that there were then 31 people with an autistic spectrum disorder, of whom 21 had Asperger's syndrome.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold an inquiry into the misdiagnosis and mistaken treatment of patients in secure mental hospitals who have Asperger's syndrome. [136953]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 6 November 2003]: We have no plans to commission an inquiry into services for people with Asperger's syndrome in secure hospitals. However, services for people who have Apserger's syndrome have been included in the specialised services national definition set (SSNDS), with a view to improving the collaborative commissioning arrangements necessary to provide them with a seamless service. Inclusion in the SSNDS provides a basis for service reviews and strategic planning and enables commissioners to establish a broad base-line position and make initial comparisons on activity and spend.

Breast Feeding

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made towards achieving national targets on breast feeding. [133579]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 22 October 2003]: Through the NHS Priorities and Planning Framework 2003–06, a target has been set to increase breast feeding initiation rates by two percentage points per year focusing especially on women from disadvantaged groups.

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Figures are not yet available but are being collected from primary care trusts in 2003 to provide a baseline for monitoring future performance.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress with the target to increase breast feeding, with particular reference to the target for women from disadvantaged groups. [133907]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Mrs. Brooke) today.

Care Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home places were available in Sussex in each of the last six years, broken down by (a) local authority run, (b) independent private and (c) independent charity and other not for profit organisation. [134777]

Dr. Ladyman: The table shows the number of care home places by type of accommodation available in Sussex as at 31 March for the years 1998 to 2001.

Figures for later years have been collected by the National Care Standards Commission but comparable details broken down by local authority are not available.

Table: Number of care home places in Sussex⁽³²⁾ by type of accommodation, 31 March 1998 to 2001Rounded Data

	Residential homes				Nursing homes
	Local authority	Private	Voluntary	Small(33)	Independent
Sussex
2001	1,500	11,605	3,645	775	8,310
2000	1,520	12,770	3,175	785	8,705
1999	1,605	13,030	3,140	815	8,945
1998	1,840	12,700	3,485	790	9,235

⁽³²⁾ Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex local authorities and East Sussex and West Sussex health authorities

⁽³³⁾ Independent registered care homes with less than four places

Source:

RA and RH(N) form A

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