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21 Jun 2004 : Column 1268W—continued

Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the Blackwater Valley and Hart Primary Care Trust. [177259]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has responsibility for strategic planning of local health
 
21 Jun 2004 : Column 1269W
 
services. The SHA is working in partnership with local NHS organisations to consider how best the local NHS can focus the effort and increase the effectiveness of its leaders. As part of this work, it has been proposed at a local level that single integrated senior management teams will be established across clusters or pairs of primary care trusts (PCTs), allied to the on-going development of lead commissioning arrangements. I understand that this work will not affect the statutory duties of Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT and that the PCT will retain its focus on improving the health and well being of people within the local area.

Care Homes

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nursing homes and (b) residential homes were found to be (i) in full compliance, (ii) in part compliance and (iii) not in compliance with the infection control standards set out in the national minimum standards for (A) older peoples' homes, (B) adult homes and (C) children's homes in the last year for which figures are available. [172736]

Dr. Ladyman: The National Minimum Standards do not have a standard exclusively for infection control. For older people and adults 18 to 65 the standards cover infection and hygiene control. For children's homes, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) considers infection and hygiene control under standard 26 which covers health, safety and security.

The CSCI uses a four point marking system for assessing compliance with National Minimum Standards:

1=standard not met

2=standard almost met

3=standard met

4=standard exceeded

I understand from the Chair of the CSCI that the figures for 2003–04 were as shown in the table.
Year 2 (2003–04)

	Score
Establishment category	1	2	3	4	Total
Older people's homes—Standard 26: Hygiene and infection control
Nursing
Count	132	736	1,570	75	2,513
Percentage	5.3	29.3	62.5	3.0	100.0
Others
Count	256	1,625	3,504	161	5,546
Percentage	4.6	29.3	63.2	2.9	100.0
Total	388	2,361	5,074	236	8,059
Percentage	4.8	29.3	63.0	2.9	100.0
Younger adult's homes—Standard 30: Hygiene
Nursing
Count	11	82	204	7	304
Percentage	3.6	27.0	67.1	2.3	100.0
Others
Count	145	1,138	3,457	86	4,826
Percentage	3.0	23.6	71.6	1.8	100.0
Total	156	1,220	3,661	93	5,130
Percentage	3.0	23.8	71.4	1.8	100.0
Children's homes—Standard 26: Health/safety and security
Count	143	520	555	17	1,235
Percentage	11.6	42.1	44.9	1.4	100.0

 
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Chemicals

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of cancer research is targeted at the possible carcinogenic effects of chemicals in the environment; and how much funding has been spent on such research in each of the last five years. [177481]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not available. However, the strategic analysis the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) published in October 2002 provides an overview of the £257 million a year of cancer research in the United Kingdom that is directly funded by the NCRI's 15 partner organisations. The analysis shows that investment in research into the causes of cancer attracted 16 per cent., of the total.

The international cancer research portfolio database at www.cancerportfolio.org contains details of projects supported by cancer research funding organisations in the UK and the United States. Data submitted by the NCRI includes the research portfolios of its 15 partners, the largest Government and charitable funders of cancer research in the UK. The database can be searched by type of cancer, area of research, and funding organisation.

Crime Reduction Partnerships

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on when primary care trusts in England will have a statutory obligation, under the Police Reform Act 2002, to become responsible authorities with regard to crime reduction partnerships. [177614]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Primary care trusts in England became statutory partners under the Police Reform Act 2002 as responsible authorities with regard to crime reduction partnerships from 30 April 2004.

Dentistry

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for dental treatment in each of the prisons in Sussex. [178489]

Dr. Ladyman: The most recent returns made to the Department by the two prisons in Sussex indicate that a prisoner at Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Ford who asked on 31 March 2004 to see a dentist would have had to wait one day for an urgent appointment and 30 days for a routine appointment. The corresponding figures for HMP Lewes were six and 30 days respectively.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have (a) started and (b) ceased to take NHS work for adults in the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area in each of the last seven years. [178306]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table. Dentists are counted in this reply as doing adult national health service dental work in a financial year if they receive some payment for work on adults in that year.
 
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General dental practitioners starting or ceasing NHS adult work in Adur Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area

	Starting	Ceasing(30)
1996–97	—	17
1997–98	8	6
1998–99	13	11
1999–2000	15	13
2000–01	23	8
2001–02	20	18
2002–03	13	19
2003–04	26	—

⁽³⁰⁾ Numbers ceasing in 2003–04 cannot be counted until payment for 2004–05 is available.
Notes:
1. A dentist is counted as starting in a financial year if payment is received in that year and if no payment is received in the previous year.
2. Dentists are counted as ceasing work, if they receive no payment in a financial year but receive payment in the previous financial year. Dentists ceasing are counted in the last year of payment.
3. The figures cover dentists working in the general dental service or personal dental service.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children are not registered with a NHS dentist in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [177682]

Dr. Ladyman: The information is not available in the form requested.

39,000 children aged under 18 were registered with a general dental service practice in the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust (PCT) area on 31 March 2004.

Some of the children registered will be resident outside the PCT area. Similarly, some children from the area will be registered with dentists who practice outside the area.

The population estimate for Shropshire County PCT is 61,000 children under the age of 18. The difference between the population estimate and registration number is 22,000. However, it should be noted that registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentist within 15 months. Registrations will exclude patients who have not been to their general dental service (CDS) dentist within the past 15 months and patients who receive dental treatment from other national health service dental services. It should also be noted that the figures do not include patients attending the dental access centres which opened during the period and whose patients are not registered.

NHS dental services are also provided by the community dental service, personal dental service, salaried service of the CDS and the hospital dental service. These services do not require the patient to be registered with a dentist before treatment.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population he estimates have mercury-based amalgam fillings; and what quantity of mercury this represents. [179455]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 18 June 2004]: The adult dental health survey, which covered those aged 16 years and over in the United Kingdom in 1988, reported that 88 per cent. of dentate adults had at least one amalgam filled surface. This represents about 77 per
 
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cent. of all adults (dentate and edentate) aged 16 and over. It is estimated that an amalgam filling comprises between 40 per cent. and 50 per cent. mercury.

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions (a) he and (b) senior civil servants at the Department have had with (i) the Treasury and (ii) the Department for Education and Skills regarding the NHS dental workforce review. [178260]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Discussions have taken place in the last month between officials at the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health and Her Majesty's Treasury about increasing dental workforce capacity.

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