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21 Apr 2004 : Column 558W—continued
Prostate Cancer
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has evaluated on the effects of frequent ejaculation in protecting men from prostate cancer; and what advice his Department provides on this. [166852]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department's prostate cancer risk management programme was announced by my right hon. Friend, the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) as part of the National Health Service prostate cancer programme in September 2000. However, no specific research has been carried out or evaluated on whether frequent ejaculation protects men from prostate cancer. A prostate cancer information sheet is available through the National Institute for Clinical Excellence website at www.nice.org.uk/.
Respiratory Conditions
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of school aged children in England suffer from respiratory conditions. [165540]
Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. The latest hospital episode statistics which relate to diseases of the respiratory system in the age group five to 16 years of age are shown in the table. Admissions may relate to more than one episode for the same child.
| Finished admissions | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 65,939 |
Notes:
Ungrossed Data—figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis)—the primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (7 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.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.
Security Incidents (NHS)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many security incidents he estimates there were in the NHS in England in each year since 1997. [163504]
Dr. Ladyman:
Information on security incidents is available for the period 1999 to 2002. This is shown in the table.
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| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 166,667 |
| 2000–01 | 112,095 |
| 1999–2000 | 106,935 |
No statistics are available for the period 1997 to 1999 and 2002 to present.
Policy on the management of security in the national health service passed to the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service on 1 April 2003.
Trust Finances
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) primary care trusts and (b) NHS trusts recorded a deficit at the end of the financial year 2003–04. [166659]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 20 April 2004]: The audited information in respect of the 2003–04 financial position of all primary care trusts and national health service trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2004.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Location Monitoring
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 15 March, Official Report, column 129W, on electronic tagging, if he will have a pilot scheme on location monitoring satellite tracking technology in Northern Ireland. [164947]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Pursuant to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr Goggins), there is no legislation to permit electronic monitoring in Northern Ireland.
Alcohol Consumption
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what restrictions apply to the consumption of alcohol on local (a) trains and (b) buses. [166703]
Mr. Spellar: The Public Service Vehicles Regulations (NI) 1985 prohibit the consumption of alcohol on buses but not on trains. Railway Byelaws allow the consumption of alcohol to be banned on certain pre-advertised train journeys.
Animal Welfare
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to deliver a high standard of animal welfare within agriculture in Northern Ireland. [166829]
Mr. Pearson:
A wide range of legislation has already been introduced in Northern Ireland to protect all species of animals, including farm animals, from cruelty and neglect, to provide them with adequate housing and transport conditions. In addition, DARD officials are currently actively engaged in replacing the existing
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range of advisory Welfare Codes for all the major species of farm animals with revised versions incorporating fresh developments in technology and our understanding of animal behaviours.
The main general welfare provisions are laid down in the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (NI) 2000 which consolidates and replaces previous legislation, implements four EU Council Directives and reflects the European Convention on the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes. The regulations lay down a general principle that the owners and keepers of animals kept for farming purposes must take reasonable steps to ensure the welfare on animals in their care and prevent them experiencing any unnecessary pain, suffering or injury. The requirements of the legislation are comprehensive, and DARD veterinary staff and meat hygiene officials actively enforce all of their provisions.
Asbestos
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's policy is regarding the disposal of asbestos at district council amenity sites in (a) North Down and (b) Northern Ireland. [164538]
Angela Smith: Waste asbestos arising from households or commercial/industrial premises is classified as special waste under the Special Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998. Any facility, located in Northern Ireland, receiving such waste must be licensed to accept it under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.
Ballybeen Estate
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding contingency is held with respect to the current exclusion of the Ballybeen Estate in Dundonald from the Belfast Regeneration Offices Business Plan, should it become part of the East Belfast constituency as a result of the Boundary Commission Report. [166746]
Mr. Spellar: The level of funding available to an area is not determined by the parliamentary constituency within which it is situated and the outcome of the Boundary Commission Review will have no impact on the level of funds available to Ballybeen Estate in Dundonald. However, if following the Boundary Commission's report Ballybeen is included in a new East Belfast constituency the Department for Social Development will review internal administrative boundaries and the regeneration of the area may fall to the Belfast Regeneration Office. This would be a purely administrative change that will have no impact on how Government funding is allocated.
Benefit Entitlements
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the benefit entitlement available to those living in Northern Ireland on an ancestral visa. [165365]
Mr. Spellar:
Immigration rules require that people who wish to travel to the United Kingdom through UK ancestry must intend to take or seek employment. They
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should therefore be able to support and accommodate themselves without claiming certain state benefits. These include:
Income Support
Jobseeker's Allowance
Housing Benefit
Tax Credits
Social Fund Payments
Child Benefit
Any disability allowance
Boundary Reviews
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for the forthcoming review of parliamentary boundaries and local government boundaries in Northern Ireland. [164432]
Mr. Spellar: The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland intend to publish Provisional Recommendations in the spring of this year. Because the Review of Public Administration is continuing, the Secretary of State is not yet in a position to appoint a Local Government Boundaries Commissioner to undertake a review of local boundaries in Northern Ireland.
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