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Family Planning Clinics

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many attendances of those aged 11 to 19 years there were at family planning clinics in the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000, broken down by age; [176121]

(2) how many women aged 11 to 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant since 2000 in the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon Strategic Health Authority, broken down by age. [176124]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends, the Members for Workington (Tony Cunningham) and Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) on 7 June 2004, Official Report, columns 34–36W.
 
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Mental Health

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned and undertaken in conjunction with the Home Office into (a) the provision of child and adolescent mental health services, (b) early intervention of educational psychologist services and (c) offending behaviour in young people; and if he will make a statement. [176058]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department is working very closely with the Home Office and the Department for Education and Skills to establish a framework for the improvement of services for young people with mental health needs, including those at risk of offending behaviour. Developing a shared understanding of those interventions that are effective is essential to this programme of work.

The projects shown in the table have been funded jointly with the Home Office:

Principal investigator	Host institution	Project title	Completion date
Professor Jonathon Hill	University of Liverpool	A pilot study of a new intervention for hard to treat children with conduct disorder	September 2006
Professor Richard Harrington	University of Manchester	A pilot randomised study of an intensive multi- modal cognitive behavioural programme for adolescent offenders in secure care	February 2006
Professor Robert Plomin	Institute of Psychiatry	Investigating the aetiology and developmental pathways related to the emergence of psychopathic tendencies in children	December 2005
Professor Anita Thaper	University of Wales	A longitudinal study of clinical, genetic and environmental risk factors for juvenile anti- social personality disorder in a high risk group	June 2005

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist psychiatric centres specifically for children and adolescents with mental health problems there are in England and Wales; where they are located; how many consultant paediatric psychiatrists and psychologists work in them; what plans he has to develop further such centres; and if he will make a statement. [177512]

Dr. Ladyman: Information is not collected in the format requested. The 2002 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) mapping exercise identified 732 CAMHS teams in England. The teams ranged from those serving a local community, a regional service and those with a national remit. As of 30 December 2003, there were 461 whole-time equivalent consultants in England working in the speciality of child and adolescent psychiatry.

The national service framework for children, due to be published later this year, will outline how a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health service may be provided. However, how these services are delivered is best decided locally.

Information on the situation in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly.

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received in relation to (i) waiting lists for appointments with child psychologists and (ii) shortages of educational psychologists in mainstream and special needs schools in England in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [177517]

Dr. Ladyman: None. However, we recognise that further work needs to be done to reduce the waiting time for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). To help achieve this and also meet our target of having a comprehensive service in every area by March 2006, in the three years to March 2006 we shall be investing an additional £300 million in CAMHS provided by the national health service and local authorities.

Decisions on the recruitment, retention and deployment of educational psychologists (EPs) are matters for local authorities as employers to determine in light of local circumstances and available resources.

The Department for Education and Skills, which has the lead Government responsibility, is aware there are shortages of EPs in some areas. It has facilitated discussions involving a range of partners, including representatives of the Local Government Association, on developing a new shorter entry training route for EPs.

NHS Independent Reconfiguration Panel

Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the chairman of the NHS Independent Reconfiguration Panel receives in salary. [177299]

Mr. Hutton: For the year ending 5 April 2004 the Chairman of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel received a salary of twenty three thousand three hundred and three pounds and 54 pence (£23,303.54).
 
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NHS Upper Age Limits

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the upper age limit for (a) heart bypass surgery and (b) kidney dialysis in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [177576]

Dr. Ladyman: The older people's national service framework makes clear that national health service services should be provided, regardless of age, on the basis of clinical need alone. There is no upper age limit for either bypass surgery or kidney dialysis.

PFI

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the private finance initiative programme. [177018]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The private finance initiative (PFI) is helping to deliver the biggest hospital building programme in the history of the national health service. Of the 107 PFI hospital schemes announced since 1997, 38 are already operational and a further 22 are under construction.

In January 2004, I announced the next prioritisation round. This called for expressions of interest from strategic health authorities; trusts submitted their strategic outline cases in April. I expect to make a further announcement in the summer.

Policy Collaborative Programme

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the external evaluation of the first phase of the Department's policy collaborative programme. [173840]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Copies of the evaluation report will be placed in the Library.

Public Bodies

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times a year the Board of the Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards is scheduled to meet; and when it last met. [175345]

Dr. Ladyman: The last meeting of the Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards was on 7 October 2003. It has since been succeeded by the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards, which convenes annually. 13 regional sub-committees in England and one in Wales support the central committee. They meet two or three times a year.

Spondylolisthesis

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into spondylolisthesis. [177106]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The Medical Research Council (MRC) currently supports three on-going clinical trials looking at interventions to relieve low back pain, including both recurrent and chronic back pain that may be of relevance to spondylolisthesis. A further MRC trial has recently been completed and the results are soon to be published. The clinical trials include comparison of the effectiveness of surgery to stabilise the
 
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spine with physiotherapy rehabilitation, and comparisons of various other interventions including exercise and manipulation by massage, chiropractors, osteopaths, or physiotherapists, and use of the Alexander technique.

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice has been given to primary care trusts on treatment of spondylolisthesis. [177148]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 7 June 2004]: No advice has been given to primary care trusts on the treatment of spondylolisthesis. However, the Department is driving forward a major programme of work to improve equality of access to all national health service treatment and care services. Priorities for health and social care are set out in "Improvement, Expansion and Reform", the priorities and planning framework for 2003–06. Although spondylolisthesis is not identified specifically, people with this condition stand to benefit from the general improvement in access to specialist care we are bringing about, including for patients with any form of orthopaedic condition.

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