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Departmental Annual Report

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the numbers of elective admissions from 1998–99 to 2001–02 inclusive given in Figure 7.1 of the Departmental Annual Report 2004 differ from those reported in the 2003 annual report. [171545]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 10 June 2004]: The reports reflect how activity is changing as the national health service modernises. Figures for elective admissions are re-based to account for the latest definitions and improvements in hospital recording practices. This re-basing enables like with like comparisons to be made across the years.

In figure 7.1 of the 2004 departmental annual report, elective admissions figures for earlier years have been re-based to be directly comparable with the 2002–03 activity figures. Similarly, in the 2003 report, figures for earlier years were directly comparable to the 2001–02 activity figures.

Departmental Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total amount paid by his Department to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff was in financial year 2003–04. [178919]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The total amount paid by the Department for contract staff and employment agencies in the financial year 2003–04 was £15,184,000. The amount paid to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff is not kept separately.

Diabetes

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to introduce screening for type two diabetes; and if he will make a statement. [179158]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee has been asked to advise on the most effective policy for screening for Type 2 diabetes. It will report to the Department in 2005.

Drug Rehabilitation

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on drug rehabilitation in Gloucestershire in each of the last three years; and how much was allocated to local drug action teams. [178465]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The pooled drug treatment budget allocation for Gloucestershire this year is £2,070,000.

Information is not collected centrally on total expenditure on drug rehabilitation.

Expenditure on drug action teams by primary care trust (PCT) is collected and is shown in the table.
2002–03

PCT	£000
South Gloucestershire	512
Cheltenham and Tewkesbury	82
West Gloucestershire	0
Cotswold and Vale	0
Total	594

Sources:
Audited summarisation schedules of the above PCTs 2002–03.

Emergency Readmissions

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has routinely to publish rates of emergency readmissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge for patients aged 75 years or over. [179591]

Dr. Ladyman: We have no plans to routinely publish this information.

Endometriosis

Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been put in place to raise awareness of endometriosis amongst health professionals. [177655]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We are determined to improve the awareness of endometriosis and are providing funding to the National Endometriosis Society (NES) and the Endometriosis SHE (Simply Holistic Endometriosis) Trust through the Section 64 general grants scheme to help achieve this. We have provided £39,000 to NES to produce two information leaflets. One leaflet for women to encourage those with symptoms to discuss with their general practitioner (GP) and another for GPs to highlight the symptoms and refer women for investigation and treatment.

Fluoridation

Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what factors underlay the decision to indemnify water companies from liabilities arising from water fluoridation; [178615]

(2) to what extent indemnity applies to the NHS authorities that may require private water companies to fluoridate their water supply. [178678]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Fluoridation is a public health intervention which water companies implement on behalf of strategic health authorities. The Water Fluoridation Act (1985) first made provision for the Secretary of State for Health to indemnify water undertakers because of the importance attached to the benefits fluoridation brings to dental health. Although there is no evidence of risks to health from fluoridation, it has been the policy of successive governments that the
 
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burden of any liabilities should be borne by the Crown, rather than by health authorities or the suppliers of the fluoridated water.

Food Supplements Directive

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide support to the legal challenge mounted by the Health Food Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Health Stores to the food supplements directive. [176953]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton) on 3 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1023–24W.

Foundation Trust Status

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts are developing, but have not yet submitted, preliminary applications for the establishment of NHS foundation trusts. [179593]

Mr. Hutton: The Department has not yet invited preliminary applications for the next wave of national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs). An independent review of NHSFTs is to be undertaken by the Healthcare Commission. We expect to make an announcement about the timing of the review and its terms of reference shortly, together with an announcement about the timing of the next cohort of NHSFT applications as part of wave two.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of preliminary applications for NHS foundation trust status have been successful in passing through to the preparatory phase. [179594]

Mr. Hutton: Of the 51 eligible national health service acute and specialist trusts, 32 submitted preliminary applications for NHS foundation trust status in February 2003 as part of wave one. Of these, three trusts later chose to defer from wave one. In May 2003, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, invited 29 trusts to begin their preparatory application for his approval later that year.

Of the 38 eligible NHS trusts, 32 submitted preliminary applications in September 2003 as part of wave 1A. In November 2003, all 32 trusts were invited to begin their preparatory application. The Department has not yet invited preliminary applications for wave two.

Free Eye Tests (Manchester, Central)

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many residents in Manchester Central aged over 60 years have benefited from the abolition of charges for eye tests; [179216]

(2) how many senior citizens in Manchester Central have access to free eye tests. [179217]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Data for the number of sight tests by constituency or by the number of senior citizens is not collected centrally.
 
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The total number of national health service sight tests paid for by the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority in 2002–03 for patients in the aged 60 and over category 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.

Health Services (Rochdale)

Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the numbers of NHS (a) doctors and (b) nurses in Rochdale parliamentary constituency in each of the last seven years. [178512]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

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