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6 Jul 2004 : Column 616W—continued
Patient Referral (Health Professionals)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health professionals will not immediately be covered by the 18-week target from general practitioner referral to treatment, with reference to paragraph 2.7 of the NHS Improvement Plan. [181662]
Mr. Hutton: The Department is yet to agree its public service agreements targets with Her Majesty's Treasury. This is one of the issues to be addressed as part of this process.
PCTs (Elderly Patients)
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which 10 primary care trusts in England have the largest elderly populations compared with the national average; [181762]
(2) what percentage of the population in the area of (a) the Blackpool Primary Care Trust and (b) the Wyre Primary Care Trust are elderly. [181763]
Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Joan Humble, dated 6 July 2004:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent questions about the elderly populations of primary care trusts in England. I am replying in his absence. (181762,181763)
Mid-year population estimates are not currently available for primary care organisation areas, although a number, including the primary care trusts of Blackpool and Wyre, are coterminous with local authority boundaries. The following table shows the percentage of people resident in Blackpool unitary authority area, Wyre local authority area and England who were of pensionable age in 2002, the latest year for which information is available.
| People of pensionable age(10) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | All people | Total | Percentage |
| England | 49,561,800 | 9,100,700 | 18.4 |
| Blackpool | 141,900 | 32,100 | 22.6 |
| Wyre | 106,800 | 27,400 | 25.7 |
(10) Pensionable age is 65 and over for males and 60 and over for females.
Source :
2002 Mid-year population estimates, Office for National Statistics
Although mid-year population estimates for primary care organisation areas are not available, population information is available for health areas from the 2001 Census. The following table shows the 10 primary care organisations in England which
- had the highest percentage of people of pensionable age at the time of the 2001 Census. The figures have been extracted from Table CAS001 on the "Census 2001 Census Area Statistics (CAS) for health areas in England and Wales" DVD, which is available on request from Census Customer Services (census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk).
Figures for Blackpool unitary authority area, Wyre local authority area and England have also been included for comparison.
| People of pensionable age(11) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | All people | Total | Percentage |
| England | 49,138,831 | 9,025,373 | 18.4 |
| Blackpool | 142,283 | 32,139 | 22.6 |
| Wyre | 105,618 | 26,868 | 25.4 |
| Bexhill and Rother | 87,402 | 27,745 | 31.2 |
| East Devon | 118,200 | 36,601 | 30.6 |
| South and East Dorset | 146,872 | 44,772 | 30.5 |
| Tendring | 136,458 | 40,350 | 29.6 |
| Eastbourne Downs | 165,692 | 48,390 | 29.2 |
| North Norfolk | 98,382 | 28,439 | 28.9 |
| Adur, Arun and Worthing | 215,187 | 57,518 | 26.7 |
| Western Sussex | 207,384 | 54,849 | 26.4 |
| Fylde | 73,217 | 18,964 | 25.9 |
| Torbay | 129,706 | 33,347 | 25.7 |
(11) Pensionable age is 65 and over for males and 60 and over for females.
Source:
Table CAS001 Census 2001 Census Area Statistics (CAS) for health areas in England and Wales.
Podiatry
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what operations are performed by non-medically qualified consultant podiatric surgeons in the NHS. [180670]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) podiatrists, (b) podiatric surgeons and (c) consultant podiatric surgeons are employed in the NHS. [180676]
Mr. Hutton: Specific information is not collected centrally on the number of podiatric surgeons or consultant podiatric surgeons employed in the national health service. As at September 2003, there were 3,807 qualified chiropodists and podiatrists employed in the NHS, an increase of 521 or 16 per cent. since 1997.
Public Health White Paper
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the public health White Paper. [181877]
Miss Melanie Johnson: We plan to publish our White Paper on improving people's health in the autumn.
Radioactivity
Norman Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ascertain whether
6 Jul 2004 : Column 618W
there is a general tendency for enhanced health risks to be found in populations living near areas of operations involving radioactive elements. [182251]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In 1983, the Black advisory group was commissioned by the Government to investigate reports of a high incidence of leukaemia occurring in young people living in the village of Seascale, three kilometres from the Sellafield nuclear site and the suggestion that there might be an association between the leukaemia incidence and the radioactive discharges from Sellafield. The advisory group confirmed that there was a higher incidence of leukaemia in young people resident in the area but also concluded that the estimated radiation dose from the Sellafield discharges and other sources, received by the local population, could not account for the observed leukaemia incidence on the basis of knowledge available at that time. The uncertainties in the available data led the advisory group to make recommendations for further research.. The committee on medical aspects of radiation in the environment (COMARE) was established in November 1985 in response to the final recommendation of the report of the independent advisory group chaired by Sir Douglas Black (Black, 1984). Its terms of reference are to:
"assess and advise Government and the Devolved Authorities on the health effects of natural and man-made radiation in the environment and to assess the adequacy of the available data and the need for further research".
Since that time, COMARE has produced eight reports concerning possible health effects from exposure to environmental radiation.
School Meals
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the health implications of the nutritional content of school meals. [182189]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The food that children consume has significant health implications and we are taking it seriously. Work is under way to address this concern within schools including the Choosing Health? consultation that will inform a public health White Paper later this year.
Sexual Health
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance is given to local authorities on the suitability of NHS safe sex information material for (a) schools, (b) youth clubs and (c) other venues frequented by teenagers; and if he will make a statement on the process by which this material was judged suitable for educational purposes; [176770]
(2) how many councils have received NHS safe sex information materials; how many have indicated that they are unsuitable; and what estimate he has made of the number of boroughs in which they are being used in schools and youth clubs; [176773]
(3) what procedures are in place to evaluate (a) the take up and (b) the effectiveness of NHS safe sex information material. [176774]
6 Jul 2004 : Column 619W
Miss Melanie Johnson: Lack of clear and accurate information for young people about sexual health is one of the key factors contributing to the high rates of unintended teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The teenage pregnancy strategy produces materials for young people through the "RU Thinking"? information campaign, to enable them to make informed, responsible choices. These materials are tested with young people and parents and are available for local teenage pregnancy strategies to disseminate in relevant community settings for young people. The choice of the most appropriate venues to reach young people is for local discretion, and no information is held centrally on this.
In addition, the Department has funded the national "Sex Lottery campaign", which aims to raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections and promote safer sex among the 18 to 30 age group. Campaign materials are carefully targeted at this older audience and are not directly promoted for use in schools. Evaluation indicates that the campaign is effective in changing behaviour.
At local level it is the responsibility of primary care trusts to provide sexual health services, including sexual health promotion, to meet the needs of their local populations. The Department has published guidance on good practice in sexual health promotion, which includes guidance on working with young people, to support them in this role—Effective Sexual Health Promotion, June 2003, available at www.dh.gov.uk. Information is not held centrally on local safer sex materials produced at local level or how these are distributed and evaluated.
In respect of the suitability of materials used in schools, under the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) sex and relationships education (SRE) guidance, schools remain under a firm obligation to use materials that are in accordance with both the personal social and health education framework and the law. Teachers and schools, in consultation with parents, must use their professional judgment to ensure that pupils are protected from teaching and materials that are inappropriate, having regard to the age and cultural background of the pupils concerned. The Government does not promote or endorse specific classroom materials.
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