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CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Energy Use

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much (a) electricity and (b) other energy his Department has used in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) per square metre; what the projected use is for each of the following years for which forecasts are made; what plans he has to reduce usage; and if he will make a statement. [135046]

Mr. Alexander: For answers in respect of parts (a) and (b) parts (i) and (ii) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 404W.

Given the current size of the Cabinet Office estate and information currently available we anticipate some reduction in real terms in our energy consumption in future years but I cannot yet quantify the change.

Improving energy efficiency is a continuing objective for the Cabinet Office and is an intrinsic part of our estate management activities. Since April 2002 we have worked in partnership with a Facilities Management

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provider to ensure the efficient use of energy throughout our operations, reflecting guidance on Government-wide energy efficiency initiatives and targets for energy use on the Government Estate. Continuing energy efficiency awareness campaigns encourage staff to conserve and make efficient use of energy.

Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 55W, on official cars, what accountability mechanism applies to the Leader of the Opposition. [136253]

Mr. Alexander: Individual office holders are responsible for ensuring appropriate use of Government cars in accordance with relevant guidance.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in relation to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, how many cases were considered in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases were (a) upheld and (b) rejected; what the average time taken to consider cases was; and what the average cost was per case. [137157]

Mr. Alexander: The Parliamentary Ombudsman publishes information about the handling of cases in her annual report, copies of which are available in the Library of the House and on the Parliamentary Ombudsman's website at ww.ombudsman.org.uk. Information relating to the average costs associated with the Parliamentary Ombudsman's caseload is not held centrally.

HEALTH

Nurses

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the additional financial support offered to trainee NHS nurses since 1997. [136420]

Mr. Hutton: Following the report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (the Dearing Report) in 1997, responsibility for nursing students training at degree level transferred from the Department for Education (now the Department for Education and Skills) to the Department of Health. From 1998 onwards, these students have been supported through the national health service bursary scheme and receive a more favourable package of support than other students in mainstream education.

NHS Bursary rates across all professions are considered each year and have been uplifted annually since 1998, including an increase of 10.4 per cent. (well ahead of inflation) in 2001.

The Department has made a number of other improvements to the scheme, including extension of eligibility for disabled students' allowances and hardship support to diploma level students, and more help with the costs of travel and accommodation. The Government have also committed to introduce help with the costs of child care from 2004.

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My ministerial colleagues and I continue to keep NHS funded student support arrangements under review in order to ensure that they continue to meet our objectives for the service.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to trusts for the recruitment of nurses from outside the UK. [136382]

Mr. Hutton: The Department has issued the following guidance to national health service trusts who are recruiting nurses from the outside the United Kingdom.

Guidance on International Nursing Recruitment (November 1999)


The Code of Practice for NHS employers involved in the international recruitment of healthcare professionals (October 2001)


Guide for the Provision of Adaptation for Nurses in the Independent and National Health Service Sectors (May 2003)

These documents are available on www.doh.gov.uk/international-recruitment.

Acute Hospital Beds

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds there were in acute hospitals in London in each year since 1997. [133748]

Mr. Hutton: Information on the numbers of beds by ward classification is collected for each national health service trust and not by individual hospital site or type of hospital. Information on the number of beds is published annually and is available from the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/.

Up to 1999–2000, this information was also published in paper form in Bed Availability and Occupancy: England, copies of which are available in the Library.

Angioplasty

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients undergoing angioplasty received titanium stents in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the reliability of stents. [134243]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health does not hold this data centrally.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recently conducted an appraisal and provided guidance on the use of coronary artery stents. The guidance recommends that stents should be used routinely for people with either stable or unstable angina or with acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Asbestos

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers his Department has to require companies dealing with asbestos to release information regarding former employees who have contracted an asbestos-related disease. [136761]

Mr. Browne: I have been asked to reply.

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Regulation 21 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002 No. 2675) requires employers to keep their employee's personal health records for 40 years. The Regulation allows the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to request copies of those records as and when they require. HSE could release such information they obtain only if the employee gave permission or if it were needed for legal proceedings.

Choice and Plurality

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish the reports on the two large scale simulations run by OPM to explore the potential effects of choice and plurality policies on the NHS; [129023]

(2) if he will publish the data reports for conferences organised by OPM on choice and plurality in the NHS for each strategic health authority in which they have taken place this year. [129024]

Mr. Hutton: A copy of the Department of Health Strategy Unit's summary of the two choice simulation events, ran for the Department by the Office of Public Management, has been placed in the Library.

Dental Laboratories

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions have been brought under Regulation 14(a)(s) of the Medical Devices Regulations 1994 against dental laboratories which have not registered in accordance with the regulations since they came into force; what steps his Department is taking to identify those dental laboratories which are not so registering; and if he will make a statement. [135526]

Miss Melanie Johnson: No prosecutions have been undertaken against dental laboratories which have failed to register under the Medical Devices Regulations (now consolidated in SI2002 No. 618). The vast majority of breaches of the regulations are resolved with the co-operation of the manufacturer in line with the Governments Concordat on Enforcement without the need for prosecution. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which enforces the regulations in the United Kingdom, investigates and resolves all potential breaches that are drawn to its attention.

Dentistry

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to increase provision of NHS dental services in Shropshire. [137509]

Dr. Ladyman: Oswestry dental access centre reopened in June 2003 following £160,000 refurbishment and expansion. This has increased the number of surgeries from three to four. The Department of Health has also provided funding for an additional dentist and dental nurse.

There is also an "Options for Change" field site in Oswestry, which is investigating the effective use of professionals complementary to dentistry.

Subject to Parliament, the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will give new duties to primary care trusts (PCTs) from April 2005 to

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secure dental services and will enable them to provide assistance and support to dental practices with which they contract. From the same date, the £1.2 billion held centrally for dentistry will be devolved to PCTs to support them in delivering their new duties on dentistry. To enable PCTs to provide assistance to dental practices in advance of 2005, we have published the General Dental Services Incentive Schemes Directions 2003.

We have also set up an national health service support team to work with PCTs to tackle access problems and have provided new investment of £44 million for dentistry to support access, choice and quality. The NHS support team will be working with the NHS locally in Shropshire to see what assistance they can provide.

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