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18 May 2004 : Column 953W—continued
Departmental Staff
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed in the Department to work in the communications field, and what the total expenditure on communications for the Department was, 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, in (A) 1994–95, (B) 1996–97, (C) 1997–98 and (D) 2001–02. [168678]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of staff that were employed in the Department's communications field and what expenditure on communications for the Department broken down by Government information and communication service staff and other staff for the financial years 1994 to 2002 can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Information on numbers and costs of press officers from 1994 to 2002 is shown in the table.
| Number | Cost (£ million) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 14 | (59)— |
| 1995–96 | 17 | (59)— |
| 1996–97 | 17 | (59)— |
| 1997–98 | 15 | (60)1,062 |
| 1998–99 | 15 | (60)1,239 |
| 1999–2000 | 16 | (60)1,253 |
| 2000–01 | 19 | (60)1,233 |
| 2001–02 | 22 | (60)1,279 |
(59) The Department's staffing cost information for press and publicity division for 1994–97 does not separately identify the cost of the press office or individual press officers. This level of detail has only been available since 1997–98.
(60) These figure are for the total staff costs in the Departments media centre. Press officer costs cannot be identified separately.
Note:
The increased costs reflect increased/new activity.
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The special advisers' code of conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are issued on an annual basis.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what principles govern workplace drug abuse agreements with trade unions in his Department. [171629]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The agreed policy is part of the Department's health and safety policy statement.
"Alcohol and drugs. Recreational drugs are not allowed on the premises. Drugs prescribed by a doctor or over the counter medication should be kept secure."
If a member of staff were found in possession of recreational drugs on the Department's premises, they would face disciplinary action as well as appropriate police action.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a diagnostic and treatment centre located in Burnley. [167948]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There is no diagnosis and treatment centre located in Burnley. However a treatment centre is located in Manchester.
Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a diagnostic and treatment centre located in Preston. [168106]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There is no diagnosis and treatment centre in Preston. However, a treatment centre is located in Ormskirk.
Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a diagnostic and treatment centre located in Workington constituency. [170714]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There is no diagnosis and treatment centre located in Workington.
Disability Discrimination Act
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that the NHS will be in full compliance with the relevant provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 by October. [170968]
Dr. Ladyman:
National health service organisations are responsible for their own compliance with the new, and existing, provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. The Department is, however, working in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission on a range of measures to support the NHS in assessing and improving progress on disability access. These measures include, for example, ensuring that core practical guidance is readily available to the NHS and
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contributing to the development of health sector-specific guidance being produced by the Disability Rights Commission.
Drug Research Data Publication
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to give the National Institute for Clinical Excellence powers to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide unpublished drug research data. [171235]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We have no plans to do so.
Erectile Dysfunction
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 1613W, on erectile dysfunction, if he will ask primary care trusts to collate information on recorded instances of erectile dysfunction, broken down by age group. [172790]
Miss Melanie Johnson: We have no plans to do so.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 6 May 2004, Official Report, column 1793W, on erectile dysfunction, if he will redraft Health Service Circular 1999/177 to include guidance on what constitutes severe distress for the purposes of the treatment of erectile dysfunction. [172791]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Health Service Circular (HSC) 1999/177, issued on 6 August 1999, contains guidance to general practitioners on criteria for determining whether a patient is suffering from severe distress as a result of erectile dysfunction.
We have no plans to issue further guidance.
Eye Tests (Manchester, Blackley)
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents in Manchester, Blackley aged over 60 years have benefited from the abolition of charges for eye tests. [172886]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Data for the number of sight tests by constituency or by the number of senior citizens is not collected centrally.
In 2002–03, the total number of national health service sight tests paid for by the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority for patients aged 60 and over was 189,900. The total number eligible for a free sight test for those aged 60 and over was 493,100. Sight tests cannot be equated to the numbers of patients.
Food Additives
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what quantities of (a) aspartame, (b) monosodium glutamate and (c) saccharine were used in foods processed in the UK in each year since 1989; [172349]
(2) what estimate he has made of the (a) average daily and (b) annual per capita consumption of (i) aspartame, (ii) saccharine and (iii) monosodium glutamate in each year since 1989. [172363]
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Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answers 11 May 2004]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that when additives are authorised for use maximum use levels are set to ensure the acceptable daily intake (ADI) is not exceeded. The ADI is defined as the amount of a food additive, expressed as mg/kg body weight, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without incurring any appreciable health risk.
The ADIs for aspartame and saccharin are 40 and 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day respectively. An 'ADI not specified' was set for monosodium glutamate reflecting the fact that glutamate is a component of animal and plant protein and represents some 20 per cent. of ingested protein of the normal diet.
Surveys of additive intake are not conducted on an annual basis, however the following intake data are available from studies conducted between 1991 and 2003.
In 1991 mean intakes of monosodium glutamate were assessed to be 600 mg per person per day and 1,300 mg per person per day for the general population and school children respectively.
In 1993 the per capita intake of aspartame, saccharin and monosodium glutamate was assessed to be:
| Per capita intake | |
|---|---|
| Aspartame | 19.6 mg/person/day (13 per cent. of ADI) |
| Saccharin | 12.2 mg/person/day (8.2 per cent. of ADI) |
| Monosodium glutamate | 264.2 mg/person/day (ADI not specified) |
The mean intake of aspartame and saccharin by United Kingdom consumers was assessed in 1999 to be:
| Adult | Children | |
|---|---|---|
| Aspartame | 5.30 mg/kg bw/day 13 per cent. of ADI | 15.91 mg/kg bw/day 40 per cent. of ADI |
| Saccharin | 0.92 mg/kg bw/day 18 per cent. of ADI | 2.56 mg/kg bw/day 51 per cent. of ADI |
In May 2003, a survey by the FSA reported the intake of intense sweeteners from soft drinks by young children. The mean intake by young children was assessed to be:
| Mean intake | |
|---|---|
| Aspartame | 3.38 mg/kg bw/day 8 per cent. of ADI |
| Saccharin | 1 .16 mg/kg bw/day 23 per cent. of ADI |
Figures are not collected on the total quantity of additives used in foods processed in the UK.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations cover the labelling of foods containing (a) aspartame, (b) monosodium glutamate and (c) saccharine, (i) produced in this country and (ii) imported. [172350]
Miss Melanie Johnson
[holding answer 11 May 2004]: The labelling of foods containing additives, including aspartame, monosodium glutamate and saccharin, are covered in the United Kingdom by the Food Labelling
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Regulations 1996. These implement the Food Labelling Directive 2000/13 EC. Foods imported into the UK and sold here would also have to comply with this legislation.
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