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Union Flag

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the flying of the Union flag on public buildings on designated days when the Union flag is flown on Government buildings in Northern Ireland. [162408]

Mr. Spellar: The flying of the Union flag from buildings wholly or mainly occupied by members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service is regulated by the Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000. The flying of the Union flag from all other public buildings is a matter for the public authority concerned.

University of Ulster (Car Clamping)

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) personnel and (b) financial resources have been required to deal with the decision of

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the University of Ulster to introduce car clamping at the campuses of (i) Jordanstown, (ii) Coleraine and (iii) Londonderry; what the impact has been upon the host communities at each location; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the costs incurred by the Police Service of Northern Ireland as a result of this policy will be recouped from the university. [160241]

Jane Kennedy: The University of Ulster, which is an autonomous institution responsible for its own policies and practices introduced vehicle clamping due to the lack of ordered parking, which involved, for example, parking in spaces reserved for the disabled, on verges, at corners and other areas marked by double yellow lines, and in ways which dangerously restricted access to entrances and exits. The new arrangements have been put in place to prevent such inconvenience and danger to car park users and have been very successful.

The University is deeply conscious of the importance of good relations with local residents and has sought the co-operation of both staff and students in not parking in the streets surrounding the University campuses.

No significant costs have been incurred by the University because clamping is carried out by an external company.

At Jordanstown, it has been necessary for the police, on a number of occasions, to deploy traffic wardens adjacent to the complex. They have issued in the region of 315 fixed penalty tickets since September 2003.

At Coleraine and Londonderry there has been minimal impact on local police resources as any illegal parking is dealt with by the local police in the normal course of their duty. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimation of costs.

HEALTH

Allergies

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been (a) conducted and (b) commissioned by his Department into the possible links between environmental pollution and allergies. [159938]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department is funding research on air pollution and asthma under its Policy Research Programme. Current work focuses on two areas:

potential confounding effects of allergens in ambient air in determining the effects of air pollution as asthma exacerbations;

effects of other air pollutants on patients with asthma.

A report on air pollution and asthma by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants is expected to be published in 2005.

Bounty

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that data collected from new mothers by Bounty is (a) subject to the Data Protection Act and (b) not passed on for commercial reasons. [161730]

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Dr. Ladyman: It is not the role of the Department to regulate private organisations' compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Any concerns about whether Bounty is complying with the Data Protection Act 1998 should be raised directly with the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the NHS has received from Bounty this year; and how much it has received in kind. [161731]

Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that cotton nappies are available in all packs given to mothers of new-born babies. [161729]

Dr. Ladyman: Bounty is a commercial company who distributes packs containing free samples and leaflets to pregnant and recently delivered women. Decisions to include cotton nappies in these packs are a matter for Bounty and individual manufacturers of cotton nappies.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that Bounty bags distributed to new mothers through NHS facilities do not include products which (a) adversely affect the health of babies, (b) increase costs to the NHS through charges for the disposal of clinical waste and (c) adversely impact on Government targets for the disposal of clinical waste; and if he will make a statement. [160981]

Dr. Ladyman: Bounty is a commercial organisation that distributes packs containing information and product samples to pregnant and recently delivered women. The Government have received no evidence to suggest that the products contained in the packs adversely affect the health of babies. Information on costs to the national health service through charges for the disposal of clinical waste as a result of the Bounty pack contents and the impact on Government targets on disposal of clinical waste are not collected centrally.

Care Homes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the development of (a) accessible and (b) understandable information about care homes to enable consumers to make more informed choices. [161832]

Dr. Ladyman: Since 1 April 2002, all care homes have been required, under the Care Homes Regulations and National Minimum Standards, to make plain and accessible information available to residents in an appropriate format. This includes information about the accommodation and services provided by each establishment. The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) is responsible for regulating care homes to ensure they meet the regulations and standards.

The NCSC makes available a register of all the services it regulates including details of each establishment and the types of care the service is registered to provide. It publishes reports of the majority of announced and unannounced inspections of regulated services (with

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exceptions being reports on children's services for child protection reasons). These are available to members of the public both via the internet and in printed form.

The NCSC will publish before the end of March 2004 its findings of analysis of performance of care homes in meeting the National Minimum Standard on Information to give a national picture of the quality of information provided by care services.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) will take over the functions of the NCSC from 1 April 2004. I understand that CSCI is developing a key corporate objective to ensure, over the next two to three years, that the maximum possible information is available for people in accessible form.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will delay the implementation of the requirement for care home managers to have an NVQ qualification. [162374]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The Government has no plans to postpone the requirement for care home managers to have a National Vocational Qualification by 2005.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the simplification of the Statement of Purpose that care homes are required to produce. [162375]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The Department has not made any changes to the regulations relating to the Statement of Purpose (SOP) for care homes and we have not received any representations. The SOP contains essential information that assists inspectors in their inspections and is prescribed in regulation. Inspectors will need to take into account the types of service being operated—single businesses or large corporations—when making judgments about the suitability of SOP produced.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding a reduction in the number of inspections required each year by care homes. [162376]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 18 March 2004]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not received any representations regarding a reduction in the number of inspections required each year by care homes.

Change Agent Team

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work of the Change Agent Team. [162315]

Dr. Ladyman: The health and social care change agent team was established two years ago. The team has worked with councils and their National Health Service partners, supporting them to plan and deliver measurably improved services for older people. Changing Places: Report on the work of the Health and Social Care Change Agent Team 2002/3 was published in July 2003 and is available in the Library and at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAnd Guidance/OrganisationPolicy/TertiaryCare/ChangeAgent Team/fs/en.

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