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5 Feb 2004 : Column 1062W—continued
Breast Screening
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards extending breast screening to all women aged 65 to 70 years by 2004. [151701]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The expansion of the national breast screening programme is progressing well. Implementing the expansion began in April 2001 and since then over 200,000 more women have been invited for breast screening.
At the end of December 2003 nearly 40 per cent. of breast screening sites were providing breast screening for women aged 65 to 70, with all sites expected to have implemented the extension by December 2004. Once the extension is fully implemented an extra 400,000 women a year will be invited for breast screening.
Breastfeeding
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child that the UK Government adopt the international code for marketing of breast-milk substitutes; what plans he has to introduce the remaining articles of (a) the 1990 Innocenti Declaration and (b) the international code into UK legislation; and what steps his Department is taking to promote and support breastfeeding in the first six months of infant life. [150820]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations came into force on 1 March 1995. These regulations implemented EC Directive 91/321/EEC, which embraces the principles of the World Health Organisation code of marketing of breast milk substitutes 1981. We are aware of the differences in United Kingdom legislation compared with the international code.
We are exploring with the Foods Standards Agency ways in which the UK regulations could be better aligned to the international code.
The Government are fully committed to the promotion of breastfeeding and have a commitment in the NHS Plan for "increased support for breastfeeding" and recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life. Further commitment to this goal is reflected in a target that has been set to increase breastfeeding initiation rates by two percentage points, focusing particularly on those from disadvantaged groups as part of the priorities and planning framework 2003- 06. A resource pack will be launched in the spring of 2004 to support the national health service in meeting this target. This work will be further developed in the context of the children's national service framework we will be publishing this year. The Department supports National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, a public health campaign to promote the benefits of breastfeeding through the NHS.
Contaminated Blood Products
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many haemophiliacs in the United Kingdom have been treated in each year since 1975 for (a) hepatitis C and (b) CJD acquired from contaminated blood products. [146985]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The number of haemophilia patients who have been treated for hepatitis C is not collated. There are no haemophilia patients who have been diagnosed with vCJD acquired from blood products.
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many haemophiliacs died from blood product acquired infections in each year from 1975 to 1987. [146986]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information on the number of haemophilia patients who have died from Hepatitis C from blood products is not collected. Information from the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation show 212 patients with haemophilia have died from liver disease to January 2000.
Viral inactivation of blood products and screening for HIV were first introduced in 1985. Information on the number of haemophilia patients who have died from HIV from blood products is not collected centrally. Figures provided by the Macfarlane Trust are only available from 1981, and are shown in the table.
| Number of patients | |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 1 |
| 1982 | 0 |
| 1983 | 1 |
| 1984 | 2 |
| 1985 | 13 |
| 1986 | 31 |
| 1987 | 40 |
| Total | 88 |
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In my response to a question from the hon. Member on Monday 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 191–92W, the number of haemophilia patients infected with HIV/AIDS from infected national health service blood products, registered with the Macfarlane Trust and who died pre-1988 was listed as 87. The Macfarlane Trust has recently advised that the correct figure is in fact 88.
Coronary Angiograms
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many coronary angiograms were sanctioned by each primary care trust in England in each of the last three years; and how many of these were (a) second and (b) third interventions. [150729]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This data is not held centrally.
Delayed Discharge
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the social service departments in England that incurred fines for delayed discharge patients from NHS hospitals in January; how many fines were imposed; and what the total amount was of fines (a) in each social services department and (b) for England. [151799]
Dr. Ladyman: Liability for delayed discharge charging came into effect on 5 January. Figures for legal liability for delayed discharges for individual councils are not held centrally. However 29 councils have indicated that they have no liability for charges during the three weeks of 5 January to 25 January. During these three weeks national health service trusts have reported approximately 13,000 chargeable days in England as a whole, with a charging liability of approximately £1.4 million.
Dentistry
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the procedure for non-EU overseas dentists wanting to work in the UK to be able to so do; and what plans his Department has to make changes to this procedure. [151466]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Dentists who qualified in countries outside the European economic area must pass the General Dental Council's international qualifying examination (IQE) for admission to the dental register. The General Dental Council is independent of the Department of Health, but we are aware that the council is monitoring the results of the IQE and the experience of dentists who have sat the examination.
Depression
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the financial cost of the treatment of depression to the NHS in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [152358]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: Information relating to the financial cost of treating depression is not collected centrally and no estimate can be made. However, the Government are aware that depression represents a significant burden, not least to those affected and their families.
Drug-related Deaths
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which year the baseline level of 1,480 drug-related deaths refers in relation to the target of reducing the number of drug-related deaths. [152832]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The year to which the baseline level of 1,480 drug-related deaths refers in relation to the target of reducing the number of drug related deaths is 1999.
Drugs/Alcohol (Children)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children between 11 and 15 years were admitted to hospital in 2003 owing to alcohol-related problems. [152556]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The table shows the number of admissions to national health service hospitals of children aged 11 to 15 with a primary diagnosis of alcohol-related illness during 2002–03.
| Primary diagnosis | Total admission episodes |
|---|---|
| Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol | 2,760 |
| Alcoholic liver disease | 0 |
| Toxic effect of alcohol | 562 |
| Total | 3,322 |
Notes:
1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
2. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
3. Figures have not (yet) been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health.
Food Promotion
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what basis the (a) chair and (b) panel members were chosen for the event organised by the Food Standards Agency in relation to the promotion of foods to children; [152601]
- (2) what the cost was of the event held on 27 January by the Food Standards Agency in relation to the promotion of foods to children, identifying the (a) production, (b) planning and (c) staffing costs; what the purpose of this event was; what outcomes were achieved; and if he will make a statement; [152605]
(3) how many people attended the event held by the Food Standards Agency on 27 January in relation to the promotion of foods to children; and how many hon.
5 Feb 2004 : Column 1066W
- Members attended; and what representations he received from hon. and right hon. Members on changing the date of the event in order to allow them to attend. [152621]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) event, "Defusing the Diet Time Bomb", on the promotion of food to children, was held on the evening of Tuesday 27 January at the QEII centre in Westminster.
The event was part of a series of activities organised by the FSA to promote public debate on the issue of the promotion of food to children, following the publication of the research review commissioned from Professor Gerard Hastings of Strathclyde University in September 2003. In October 2003, the FSA published a paper setting out a range of possible policy options that might be considered as a result of the Hastings findings.
The purpose of the event on 27 January was to provide members of the public with an opportunity to debate the issues publicly with each other and with stakeholders drawn from consumer organisations, the food and advertising industries, public health and children's organisations. A report of the event, along with views gathered at other stakeholder events, will be used to inform the FSA board decisions on what advice to offer to Ministers.
The chair was chosen on the basis that he was independent and fair. The six main panellists were selected to provide a balance of views and a range of expertise and experience to reflect the range of issues under discussion.
Over 450 people attended in person at the QEII centre. 439 viewed the debate online via the FSA's web-site and an estimated 1,000 watched on digital television.
One noble Member of another place attended. A number of apologies were received from hon. Members but no representations were made by any right hon. or hon. Members to change the date.
The total cost of the event was £147,000, of which £143,500 was allocated to production and a further £3,500 for planning and preparation. Staffing at the event was provided by FSA staff.
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