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Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been put in place in the southern sector of Iraq under British control to secure (a) state assets and (b) archaeological sites; and what discussions he has had with (i) his United States counterpart and (ii) the Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority on the lessons learned from securing sites and assets, including ministries, in the United States-controlled sector. [151972]

Mr. Ingram: Initially, coalition forces were committed to securing and protecting a wide variety of key cultural and public assets and sites across Iraq. However, as Iraqi authorities have steadily regained capability, they have taken on increasing responsibility for securing and protecting their own assets and sites (administrative, economic and cultural). While coalition forces remain on hand to assist and support those elements of the Iraqi Security Forces involved in this work, the day-to-day security of these assets and sites is now, as it should be, in the hands of Iraqis.

In the course of discussions with my US counterpart and the CPA, we keep arrangements for the security and protection of key cultural and public assets under review.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the timing of the completion of the Status of Force Agreement for British troops in Iraq. [153515]

Mr. Ingram: The arrangements under which British forces will remain in Iraq after 30 June 2004 are still under discussion.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the numbers of British service personnel based in Iraq. [156993]

Mr. Ingram: There are currently around 8,000 UK service personnel serving in Iraq.

RM Condor

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civilians and (b) service personnel are based in RM Condor in Angus. [157072]

Mr. Caplin: When 45 Commando Royal Marines and 7 Commando Battery are not deployed, the total scheme of complement for units based at RM Condor is 835 military personnel and 54 MOD civil servants.

27 Feb 2004 : Column 618W

HEALTH

Abortion/Cancer

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the link between induced abortion and breast cancer. [155817]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government believe that any woman considering an abortion must have all the facts to make an informed decision. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guidance, "The care of women requesting induced abortion" (2000), states that professionals involved in abortion care should be equipped to provide women with information on the long-term effects of abortion which are rare or unproven, including breast cancer.

The RCOG is in the process of updating its guidance. It has carried out an extensive review of the literature and concluded that the evidence shows that induced abortion is not associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer.

A similar review of recent evidence has taken place in the United States, where the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists also concluded that there was no evidence in the body of medical research to suggest any causal link between abortion and breast cancer ¹ .

Cancer Research UK is undertaking a study of the risk factors associated with breast cancer, including a further international review of the research evidence on abortion and breast cancer. The results of this study will be made available when completed.

¹ International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, November 2003.

Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many 999 calls in the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service area have been answered by the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service in each of the last 12 months; [156672]

(2) how many 999 calls in the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service area have been answered by the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service in each of the last 12 months. [156673]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 26 February 2004]: The information is not collected centrally.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many times in the past six months ambulance services have had 999 calls passed to them by BT operators who were unable to connect calls to the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service; [148253]

(2) what discussions have taken place between BT and the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service since November on improving the handling of 999 calls. [148254]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not collected centrally. These are matters which are the responsibility of the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust.

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Ancillary Medicine Workers

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses, (b) midwives, (c) nursing assistants and (d) professionals ancillary to medicine were employed in the area of each primary care trust in the North East in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. [155964]

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Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 23 February 2004]: Information on the numbers of nurses, midwives, nursing assistants and professionals ancillary to medicine in the North East for 1997 and 2002 are shown in the following tables.

NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing including Practice Nurses employed by Unrestricted Principals and equivalents (UPEs)⁽¹⁹⁾ and Allied Health Professionals in the North East Government Office Region and each specified Strategic Health Authority and organisation as at 30 September 1997Headcount

		Total Qualified Nursing(20)	Of which: Qualified Midwives	Nursing Assistants	Allied Health Professionals
	North East Government Office Region	18,390	1,774	7,364	2,323
Q09	Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA	10,866	699	4,681	1,370
RAB	Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS Trust	1,060	0	56	125
RCK	Royal Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust	2,185	226	509	243
RE2	Gateshead Hospitals NHS Trust	687	91	266	93
RES	Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust	290	0	177	31
RE9	South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust	905	88	337	113
RLC	North Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust	763	82	325	128
RLH	Priority Healthcare Wearside NHS Trust	569	0	405	6
RLK	Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust	646	86	309	108
RLM	Northumberland Community Health NHS Trust	423	0	120	39
RLN	City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust	1,238	126	511	219
RM6	Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust	357	0	840	22
RM7	Gateshead Healthcare NHS Trust	444	0	332	51
RNM	Newcastle City Health NHS Trust	896	0	494	192

⁽¹⁹⁾ UPEs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.

Note:

Totals include Practice Nurses working in these SHA areas.

Source:

Department of Health non-Medical Workforce Census/Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Due to changes in the structure of the NHS it is not possible to give an exact breakdown on a one to one basis between the PCTs geographic area and their former organisations.

NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing including Practice Nurses employed by Unrestricted Principals and equivalents (UPEs)⁽²⁰⁾ and Allied Health Professionals in the North East Government Office Region and each specified Strategic Health Authority and organisation as at 30 September 2002Headcount

		Total Qualified Nursing(21)	Of which: Qualified Midwives	Nursing Assistants	Allied Health Professionals
	North East Government Office Region	21,504	1,241	9,339	2,874
Q09	Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA	12,857	675	6,257	1,696
5D7	Newcastle PCT	564	0	118	77
5D8	North Tyneside PCT	267	0	73	12
5KF	Gateshead PCT	334	0	65	74
5KG	South Tyneside PCT	257	1	46	19
5KL	Sunderland Teaching PCT	463	0	83	1
RE9	South Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust	615	99	370	124
RLN	City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust	1,475	121	784	237
RM6	Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust	386	0	1,191	72
RNP	Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust	960	0	685	156
RR7	Gateshead Health NHS Trust	943	96	329	134
RTD	Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust	3,616	184	1,086	383
RTF	Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust	1,659	174	910	297
RVK	North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust	89	0	0	0
RW9	South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health NHS Trust	803	0	441	33
TAC	Northumberland Care Trust	426	0	76	77

⁽²⁰⁾ UPEs include QMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPS.

Source:

Department of health Non-Medical Workforce Census/Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services.

27 Feb 2004 : Column 621W

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