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5 Mar 2004 : Column 1185W—continued
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio is of general practitioners per 1,000 population in each English primary care trust. [154140]
Mr. Hutton: The latest figures available for unrestricted principals and equivalents per 1,000 population in England on a primary care trust (PCT) level is for September 2002. This information has been placed in the Library.
Pulmonary Disease
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary and secondary care; and if he will make a statement; [155109]
- (2) what steps he will take following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to ensure that all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have access to a multidisciplinary healthcare team; [155110]
(3) whether, following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, he will make it a priority for all hospitals and general practitioner surgeries to have access to non-invasive ventilation for the treatment of people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; [155111]
(4) whether, following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, he will make it a priority for all hospitals and general practitioner surgeries to have access to (a) a spirometer and (b) adequate training in the use of spirometry; [155112]
(5) if, following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, he will provide funding for pulmonary rehabilitation courses to run in every
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- hospital for all patients who consider themselves functionally disabled by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [155113]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answers 1 March 2004]: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guidance on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary and secondary care has not yet been published. It would be inappropriate to make a statement until the publication of the NICE'S formal guidance on COPD.
Primary care trusts, in partnership with local stakeholders, have the responsibility for deciding what services to provide for their populations, including those with respiratory disease. They are best placed to understand local health needs and commission services to meet them.
Sexual Health and HIV
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in appointing members of the Independent Advisory Group on sexual health and HIV. [156477]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The chair and members of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV were appointed following an open competition and interview process in accordance with the Guidance on Appointments to Public Bodies, issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The committee has specific posts to ensure a wide range of expertise is represented across sexual health. The qualities, experience and skills criteria were made available for the specific and generic requirements for these posts. All applicants were assessed against these criteria. Members have been appointed for a period of four years and are required to subscribe to the code of best practice for board members of public bodies.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recommendation of the Independent Advisory Group on sexual health and HIV that the right of parents to opt their child out of sex and relationship education and personal, social and health education on any grounds including those of faith or religion should be explicitly ended. [156478]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Formal sex and relationship education is taught through compulsory science lessons and during personal/social and health education (PSHE). Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from some, or all, PSHE lessons, but not statutory science lessons. If a parent decides to exercise this right, then the school should provide information about the lessons being missed and ideas for other sources of support for them to fulfil the task of educating their child. We have no plans to remove this right.
Smoking Clinics
Mr. Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many smoking clinics are run by the NHS in England, broken down by health authority; and how many have been guaranteed funding for the next three years. [157440]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: We do not collect this information centrally. All primary care trusts have received funding for the three years 2003–04 to 2005–06 to commission stop smoking services to meet the needs of their populations. The services may be in the form of a clinic or on a one-to-one basis, depending on local circumstances.
Tuberculosis
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to improve levels of immunity to tuberculosis in London. [153362]
Miss Melanie Johnson: A London-wide tuberculosis group has been established to take forward specific areas of work such as refocusing the way in which TB services are organised.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Departmental Communications
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158161]
Mr. Caborn: 18 members of DCMS staff work in the communications field, of which 14 are Government Information and Communication Service staff. Of these 18 members of staff, 10 are press officers; none are special advisers; and eight others work on publicity, internal communications and administration.
Digital Television
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when Freeview digital television services will be available throughout the (a) Benfleet, (b) Hadleigh and (c) Canvey Island areas. [158125]
Estelle Morris: Ofcom inform us that most postcodes in Benfleet, Hadleigh and Canvey Island can currently receive Freeview digital television services from the Bluebell Hill transmitter. However many households in these areas will not be tuned into this transmitter as it is located in a different ITV region.
Other transmitters in the area do not emit sufficient power to offer a full range of services and in order to protect existing analogue services against interference, the signal strength cannot be increased until digital switchover.
The Government are committed to ensuring that all households who can currently receive analogue signals will be able to receive digital television when switchover takes place.
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Viewers in Essex wishing to view all of the Freeview digital services are advised to check their postcode on the Digital Television Group's website: www.dtg.org.uk http://www.dtg.org.uk and if necessary, contact a reputable aerial installer about carrying out an aerial check. We suggest they contact the Confederation of Aerial Industries Ltd. (CAI) at Fulton House Business Centre, Fulton Road, Wembley Park, Middlesex HA9 0TF, telephone: 020 8902 8998.
Environmentally Sustainable Procurement
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products. [159099]
Estelle Morris: Copies of the Department's recently published sustainable development strategy are available in the Libraries of both Houses. Objective 2 of the strategy (sustainable estate management) highlights the fact that DCMS is the first Government Department to commission and purchase significant quantities of wood furniture from fully certified and accredited sources. We intend to encourage suppliers and contractors to develop environmentally preferable goods and services at competitive prices. Furthermore, the Department has supported innovation in this area via the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts, (NESTA), a Non Departmental Public Body. Last year NESTA made an award of £90,500 to a firm in Surrey which has developed a technology which produces a high quality paper pulp from straw. The technique uses only half the energy and fewer chemicals than traditional systems, with no harmful environmental effects.
Local Government Finance (Dorset)
Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants were awarded to local authorities in Dorset by her Department in financial year 2003–04 that fall outside the revenue support grant. [156211]
Mr. Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local and Regional Government on 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 750W.
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