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22 Jan 2004 : Column 1432W—continued

Post Mortems

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the scoping study on less invasive approaches to post mortem examination referred to on the Chief Medical Officer's webpage. [148245]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Chief Medical Officer recommended that research should be commissioned into less invasive forms of post mortem examination. In order to take this work forward a scoping study was commissioned by the Department of Health. This will be published shortly and a copy will then be placed in the Library.

Stroke (Gloucestershire)

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many stroke consultants are employed in the NHS in Gloucestershire; what plans there are to increase this number; and if he will make a statement. [149467]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information for consultants in the specialties cardiology, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, geriatric medicine, neurology, and rehabilitation medicine within Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) is shown in the table.

In line with our policy of shifting the balance of power it is now for primary care trusts, in partnership with SHAs and other local stakeholders, to determine how

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best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services, based on the specialised knowledge they have of the local

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community. I am informed by Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA that there are no current plans for the recruitment of additional stroke consultants in Gloucestershire.

Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Consultants within Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA by organisation and specified specialtiesNumber (headcount)

		Cardiology			Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics			Geriatric medicine
		2001	2002	June 2003	2001	2002	June 2003	2001	2002	June 2003
Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA		15	22	24	1	2	2	24	36	42
Of which:
5FL	Bath and North East Somerset PCT	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
RA3	Weston Area NHS Trust	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	1
RA5	East Gloucestershire NHS Trust	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
RA7	United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust	4	6	6	0	1	0	4	5	5
RD1	Royal United Hospitals, Bath NHS Trust	2	3	3	1	1	1	1	5	7
RH6	Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0
RN3	Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust	2	4	3	0	0	1	6	4	5
RNZ	Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust	1	2	2	0	0	0	2	2	3
RTE	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust	0	4	4	0	0	0	0	7	9
RVJ	North Bristol NHS Trust	2	2	5	0	0	0	3	11	11

Number (headcount)

		Neurology			Rehabilitation medicine
		2001	2002	June 2003	2001	2002	June 2003
	Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA		11	14	13	0	3	0
Of which:
5FL	Bath and North East Somerset PCT	0	0	0	0	0	0
RA3	Weston Area NHS Trust	0	0	0	0	0	0
RA5	East Gloucestershire NHS Trust	0	0	0	0	0	0
RA7	United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust	1	1	1	0	0	0
RD1	Royal United Hospitals, Bath NHS Trust	3	3	2	0	0	0
RH6	Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust	2	0	0	0	0	0
RN3	Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust	1	1	1	0	0	0
RNZ	Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust	0	0	0	0	3	0
RTE	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust	0	3	3	0	0	0
RVJ	North Bristol NHS Trust	4	6	6	0	0	0

Note:

Data for 2001 and 2002 as at 30 September, data for 2003 as at 30 June.

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.

Tuna (Mercury Contamination)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of research undertaken by the US Food and Drug Administration into mercury contamination of tuna; [148591]

(2) what advice his Department gives to consumers on the consumption of tuna, with particular reference to mercury content. [148593]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency advises that pregnant and breast-feeding women, and women who intend to become pregnant, should limit their consumption of tuna to no more than two medium size cans (drained weight approximately 140 g.) or one fresh tuna steak per week as a precaution due to the mercury content. Other consumers do not need to limit their consumption of tuna. This is in line with advice issued by the US Food and Drug Administration on fish consumption, based on surveys of the mercury content of fish.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-Social Behaviour

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding anti-social behaviour over Halloween. [145344]

Ms Blears: I have previously received a few representations about anti-social behaviour over the Halloween period. In particular the issues surrounding the increase of Trick or Treating by children.

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The majority of children enjoy Halloween without causing problems to their community.

Where any individual causes anti-social behaviour at any time of year we are determined that their behaviour is challenged and stopped, and we have provided the tools to ensure this happens.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 will be brought into force on (a) 20 January and (b) 27 February; [149104]

(2) what steps he has taken to ensure that Chief Constables and the Crown Prosecution Service are fully aware of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provisions that come into force on (a) 20 January and (b) 27 February; [149105]

(3) when the timetable giving the dates for commencement of the sections of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 that are not yet in force will be published; and which sections of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 have not yet been subject to commencement orders. [149106]

Ms Blears: We published "Together-Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour: A Guide to the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003" on 20 January 2004. This explains the Act's contents, how it can be used to deal with the anti-social behaviour and provides commencement dates for all measures in the Act. Copies of the Act will be sent to all Chief Constables in England and Wales and to the Crown Prosecution Service. Copies have also been sent to all Members of Parliament today.

Burglars

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of burglars who are convicted in each of the areas of England and Wales are sentenced to prison. [147366]

Paul Goggins: The information requested is contained in the table.

Courts will approach the decision to sentence for offences of burglary on the basis of guidelines issued by the Court of Appeal in December 2002 and the Magistrates' Courts Sentencing Guidelines issued by the Magistrates' Association (most recent version effective from 1 January 2004). These Guidelines assist the courts in adopting a consistent approach. The new Sentencing Guidelines Council will take on responsibility for these guidelines and for monitoring the way in which the guidelines are used in order to ensure that there is a common approach to sentencing.

Number of persons sentenced for burglary⁽¹⁵⁾ at all courts and those sentenced to immediate custody, by police force area, England and Wales 2002

Police force area	Total persons sentenced for burglary	(16)Persons sentenced to immediate custody	Percentage sentenced to immediate custody
Avon and Somerset	695	379	55
Bedfordshire	224	131	58
Cambridgeshire	335	174	52
Cheshire	500	288	58
Cleveland	677	377	56
Cumbria	253	120	47
Derbyshire	533	290	54
Devon and Cornwall	526	188	36
Dorset	244	131	54
Durham	432	217	50
Essex	434	230	53
Gloucestershire	247	93	38
Greater Manchester	1,614	816	51
Hampshire	776	310	40
Hertfordshire	314	145	46
Humberside	579	318	55
Kent	489	220	45
Lancashire	1,223	610	50
Leicestershire	458	212	46
Lincolnshire	323	137	42
London, City of	27	14	52
Merseyside	650	358	55
Metropolitan Police	3,234	1,776	55
Norfolk	261	109	42
Northamptonshire	237	122	51
Northumbria	927	389	42
North Yorkshire	300	162	54
Nottinghamshire	747	356	48
South Yorkshire	937	523	56
Staffordshire	534	301	56
Suffolk	235	89	38
Surrey	191	88	46
Sussex	402	214	53
Thames Valley	744	360	48
Warwickshire	187	95	51
West Mercia	494	246	50
West Midlands	1,862	1,039	56
West Yorkshire	1,598	873	55
Wiltshire	233	92	39
Dyfed Powys	214	77	36
Gwent	384	146	38
North Wales	317	147	46
South Wales	785	388	49
England and Wales	26,376	13,350	51

⁽¹⁵⁾ These data are on the principal offence basis

⁽¹⁶⁾ Detention and training order, detention in a young offender institution, detention under secs 91/92 of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 and unsuspended imprisonment.

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