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29 Jun 2004 : Column 161W—continued

Consultants

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of consultants who had expressed an
 
29 Jun 2004 : Column 162W
 
interest in moving onto the new consultants contract had (a) moved onto the new contract by 30 April and (b) received a final job plan offer. [178897]

Mr. Hutton: Data collected from strategic health authorities (SHAs) shows that, of those consultants who had given a formal commitment to the new contract by 31 October 2003, 19 per cent. had agreed a job plan and signed up to the new contract and a further 40 per cent. had received final job plan offers by 30 April 2004.

The most recent data, supplied at 4 June by SHAs, suggests that 79 per cent. of consultants who expressed an interest in the contract have had final job plan offers, including 35 per cent. who have now accepted the contract.

Contraceptive Implants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out into the possible side-effects of use of contraceptive implants by teenage girls. [178350]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The contraceptive implant currently available in the United Kingdom is Implanon, a progestagen-only implant that provides contraception for a period of three years. Implanon is a prescription-only medicine which may be recommended for women of any age but which is most commonly used by older women.

Studies carried out by the marketing authorisation holder for Implanon were evaluated at the time of licensing and the product information states that safety and efficacy has been established in women between the ages of 18 and 40 years. The limited available data do not suggest that the safety profile of Implanon is different in women under the age of 18 years. However, no formal research has been carried out and the judgement on the balance of risks and benefits in women under 18 is the responsibility of the prescribing physician.

Health care professionals are encouraged to discuss the potential side effects with everyone who seeks treatment. In addition, prescribers are expected to satisfy themselves that all women understand the risks and benefits of using Implanon and that it is in their best interests to receive the treatment.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will continue to monitor the safety of Implanon and will review any potential safety issues in the light of any new evidence which may emerge.

Dispensing Opticians

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to provide support for dispensing opticians required to undertake continuing education; [179505]

(2) what plans he has officially to recognise dispensing opticians as healthcare professionals. [179507]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Dispensing opticians are recognised as health care professionals and are regulated under the Opticians Act.
 
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Currently there is no provision for financial support towards continuing education and training for dispensing opticians as they do not contract with the national health service to provide general ophthalmic services and therefore fall outside the NHS arrangements for ophthalmic services.

The Department is due shortly to begin a review of the general ophthalmic services and the position of dispensing opticians will be considered as part of that review.

Emergency Planning

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 May 2004, Official Report, column 1378W, on emergency planning, when the well-developed major incident plans were last monitored by the Department; what form the tests took; and what steps he will take to satisfy himself that the major incident plans will work in a serious emergency, with particular reference to a terrorist attack. [179472]

Mr. Hutton: Each strategic health authority (SHA) in England is responsible for the routine and regular assessment of the emergency preparedness plans of national health service organisations in its area. Health
 
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organisations are themselves required to conduct internal tests and reviews and to include a statement of preparedness in their annual reports.

In addition to routine feedback, the Department conducted specific national assessments of emergency preparedness via the SHAs in January 2003 and again at the end of that year as part of a wider regional capabilities mapping exercise.

Each NHS organisation can call upon specialist advice and support from the Health Protection Agency and is expected take part in external multi agency exercises and report results to its SHA. Although based on an all-hazards approach, national guidance requires that emergency preparedness plans make specific provision for responding to terrorist threats.

NHS Agencies

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS agencies whose future he is reviewing; and what (a) the date of the agency's establishment and (b) total number of staff is in each case. [176954]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The data for the national health service bodies concerned is shown in the table.

Name of body	Date established	Number of staff 1
Commission for Social Care Inspection	1 April 2004	2,622
Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (The Health-care Commission)	1 April 2004	456
Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health	1 January 2003	123
Counter Fraud and Security Management Service	1 January 2003	284
Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals	1 April 2003	10
Dental Practice Board	1948	333
Dental Vocational Training Authority	1 October 1993	2.5
Family Health Services Appeal Authority	1 April 1995	12
General Social Care Council	1 October 2001	130
Health Development Agency	1 January 2000	122.6
Health Protection Agency	1 April 2003	2,628
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority	1 August 1991	105
Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts	5 January 2004	37
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency	1 April 2003	806
Mental Health Act Commission	1983	38
NHS Appointments Commission	1 April 2001	39
NHS Direct	1 April 2004	3,000
NHS Estates	1 April 1991	180.8
NHS Logistics	1 April 2000	1,452
NHS Information Authority	1 April 1999	1,034
NHS Litigation Authority	20 November 1995	184.4
NHS Pensions Agency	20 November 1992	369
NHS Professionals	1 January 2004	671
NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency	1 January 2000	336
NHSU	1 December 2003	270
National Biological Standards Board	1976	305
National Blood Authority	1993	5,378
National Institute for Clinical Excellence	1 April 1999	92
National Clinical Assessment Authority	1 April 2001	87.7
National Patient Safety Agency	2 July 2001	169.2
National Radiological Protection Board	1 October 1970	338
National Treatment Agency for Drugs	1 April 2001	84
Postgraduate Medical Education Training Board	1 October 2003	27
Prescription Pricing Authority	1977	2,260
Public Health Laboratory Service	(3)1977	62.6
UK Transplant	1 July 2000	132

⁽²⁾ Staff figures are given in whole-time equivalents as at 1 April 2004.
⁽³⁾ The Public Health Laboratory Service existed in an earlier form from the late 1940s.
Note:
Bodies which have been abolished since the Department's review of its arm's length bodies was announced are not shown.




 
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NHS Budgets

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget was for (a) the NHS in England and (b) NHS maternity services in England in each year since 1992. [180329]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department records historic data on expenditure and not on annual budgets. It is this data that is shown in the tables.
National health service total expenditure for England £ billion

	Net NHS expenditure (Outturn)
Cash 1
1991–92	25.4
1992–93	28.0
1993–94	28.9
1994–95	30.6
1995–96	32.0
1996–97	33.0
1997–98	34.7
1998–99	36.6
1999–2000	39.9
RB Stage 1 2
1999–2000	40.2
2000–01	43.9
2001–02	49.0
2002–03	54.0

⁽⁴⁾ Expenditure pre 1999–2000 is on a cash basis.
⁽⁵⁾ Expenditure figures from 1999–2000 to 2002–03 are on a stage 1 resource budgeting basis (and consistent with figures to be published in table 3.4a of Departmental Report 2004).
Note:
Figures are not comparable over the whole period.




 
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Hospital and community health services expenditure on maternity services—England, 1991–92 to 2002–03

	£
1991–92	977,208,570
1992–93	1,011,857,187
1993–94	1,007,065,252
1994–95	1,006,545,942
1995–96	1,012,530,343
1996–97	1,048,650,541
1997–98	1,053,832,887
1998–99	1,089,179,652
1999–2000	1,153,864,597
2000–01	1,192,362,905
2001–02	1,270,961,420
2002–03	1,383,835,950

Sources:
1. Annual financial returns of district and regional health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals, 1991–92 to 1995–96.
2. Annual financial returns of NHS trusts, 1991–92 to 2002–03.
3. Annual financial returns of primary care trusts, 2000–01 to 2002–03.

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