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17 Nov 2003 : Column 613W—continued
Proton Therapy
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on proton therapy in the context of the NHS cancer plan. [137066]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The NHS Cancer Plan set out our commitment to maintain a modern stock of equipment in the national health service which offers the latest imaging and treatment techniques. We are aware of the benefits proton therapy can offer to the small number of patients with ocular cancer and will keep under review its potential for the treatment of other cancers.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for further investment in proton therapy equipment at the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology. [137363]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There are currently no plans for further investment in proton therapy equipment at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology.
Public Interest Disclosure Act
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's obligations under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 are. [138560]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department recognises that it has an obligation under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 to ensure that all employees are able to raise
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matters of concern about malpractice or illegal acts (whether it has been committed or is likely to be committed), such as,
- unlawful conduct;
a failure to comply with any legal obligation;
a miscarriage of justice;
financial malpractice;
danger to the health and safety of any individual at work;
damage to the environment; and
concealing of information in relation to any of the above.
The Department's guidance clearly states that employees who raise concerns will be protected from discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation.
Respiratory Physiotherapy
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts offer (a) pulmonary rehabilitation and (b) domiciliary respiratory physiotherapy; and how many patients are undergoing such treatment in each. [138040]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 11 November 2003]: This information is not held centrally. However, a survey carried out earlier this year by the British Lung Foundation and British Thoracic Society found that 160 out of 266 hospitals across the country provide some form of pulmonary rehabilitation to lung patients.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence is currently developing a guideline on the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary and secondary care. It is expected that the guideline will be published in February 2004.
Respite Care
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources the Government made available for respite care since 1997 in (a) the UK, (b) the north west region and (c) St. Helens. [137979]
Dr. Ladyman: The Carers Grant was introduced in 1999 to support local councils in arranging short breaks services for carers. It has provided an extra £325 million over five years to increase the number of breaks for carers.
The Carers Grant allocations since 1999 are shown in the table.
| England(£ million) | North west region (£) | St. Helens(£) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 20 | 2,719,403 | 71,679 |
| 2000–01 | 50 | 6,855,503 | 177,417 |
| 2001–02 | 70 | 9,469,014 | 245,713 |
| 2002–03 | 85 | 11,451,858 | 297,557 |
| 2003–04 | 100 | 14,087,110 | 393,460 |
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Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's policy for the provision of respite care for carers is. [137980]
Dr. Ladyman: Carers are entitled to an assessment to determine their needs as carers and eligibility for support including short-term breaks. The Carers Grant, worth £100 million this year, provides money for local councils to provide short breaks and other services for carers to enable them to take a break. The introduction of the short-term break voucher scheme earlier this year provides more choice and flexibility for service users and their carers.
Smear Tests
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of smear tests in England and Wales resulted in women being recalled as a result of inadequate smears in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [136875]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The number of inadequate smears that resulted in women being recalled are shown in the table.
| Screening year | Number of inadequate smears |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 364,116 |
| 1999–2000 | 379,501 |
| 2000–01 | 359,441 |
| 2001–02 | 367,329 |
| 2002–03 | 357,707 |
On 22 October, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommended that liquid based cytology (LBC) should be introduced across the cervical screening programme in England. LBC is a new method of preparing cervical samples for examination and reduces the likelihood of an inadequate test from one in 10 to one in 100. The Government welcomed the recommendations, which mean that approximately 300,000 women a year will not need to be recalled.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of UK women participated in the Pap Screening Programme, broken down by those (a) under 30, (b) 30 to 49, (c) 50 to 59 and (d) 60 to 64 in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [136878]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The percentage coverage of the national health service cervical screening programme, broken into age groups and taken from the cervical screening programme statistical bulletin, is shown in the table.
| Age range | Percentage coverage |
|---|---|
| 20 to 29 | 63 |
| 30 to 49 | 82.8 |
| 50 to 59 | 82.3 |
| 60 to 64 | 77.3 |
Coverage is the proportion of women resident who have had a test with a result at least once in the previous five years.
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Smog
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) mortality and (b) morbidity caused by smog in London in the last five years. [136539]
Miss Melanie Johnson: No estimates of the impact of air pollution on mortality or morbidity in London have been made.
Smoking
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds are addicted to cigarettes in the UK. [136812]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 10 November 2003]: The available data are shown in the table.
| Status | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current smokers | |||
| Less than 10 per day | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| 10 to 19 per day | 10 | 16 | 13 |
| 20 or more per day | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Total current smokers | 21 | 30 | 26 |
| Ex-regular smokers | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Never or only occasionallysmoked cigarettes | 74 | 64 | 69 |
| Base | 532 | 630 | 1,162 |
Source:
ONS General Household Survey, published as "Living in Britain 2001, results from the General Household Survey".
Social Care Bodies
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many administrative staff have been employed by social care bodies (a) directly and (b) indirectly in each of the last six years. [138486]
Dr. Ladyman: Figures for the last six years for administrative staff employed by local authorities in central and/or strategic positions in social services are shown in the table.
| Number of administrative staff | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 16,400 |
| 1998 | 17,300 |
| 1999 | 18,500 |
| 2000 | 19,400 |
| 2001 | 18,800 |
| 2002 | 18,000 |
These are whole-time equivalents and the figures are as at 30 September in each year. They represent a wide range of staff, including senior directing staff, planning staff, training managers and officers, registration and inspection officers and senior support staff.
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The source of these figures is form SSDS001. This is the annual return of staffing figures provided by local authorities to the Department. The Department does not hold figures on staff employed indirectly by authorities, or employed by the independent sector.
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