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21 Jul 2004 : Column 344W—continued
Sudan
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose to the UN Security Council the invocation of Chapter VII of the charter with regard to Sudan. [178784]
Mr. Mullin: We have made clear that UN Security Council action will be needed if the Government of Sudan does not honour the commitments it has given to improve humanitarian access and security. Discussion of a US draft Security Council Resolution, which invokes Chapter VII of the UN Charter, is on-going.
Turkey
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues were raised at the UK/Turkey Human Rights Dialogue meeting on 15th July; and what progress has been made on these issues. [185438]
Mr. MacShane: At the fourth UK/Turkey Human Rights Dialogue on 15 July the following issues were raised: Turkey's bid to open accession negotiations with the European Union; fundamental freedoms, including of expression, religion, demonstration, and association; torture and ill treatment; women's rights; functioning of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies; the situation in the Southeast and cultural rights; measures taken within the UK to combat terrorism; implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments; co-operation in international organisations; and bilateral project assistance. In addition, we passed a list of specific cases of concern to the Turkish delegation.
The UK side congratulated the Turkish side for the enormous progress made by Turkey and encouraged them to maintain the momentum of reform, indicating the areas where we saw a need for further progress. The Turkish delegation undertook to consider the points raised.
US/UK Entry Bans
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Foreign Office officials are in regular contact with their US counterparts concerning the co-ordination of intelligence on persons banned from entering the United Kingdom and the United States. [183775]
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Mr. Straw [holding answer 14 July 2004]: The US and UK co-ordinate closely on intelligence matters. It is the longstanding practice of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence and security matters. The security and intelligence agencies are outside the scope of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (paragraph 6, part 1).
NORTHERN IRELAND
Area Child Protection Committees
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when legislation will be introduced to give area child protection committees in Northern Ireland a statutory basis. [183587]
Angela Smith: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is currently developing a Strategy for Children and Young People in Need which will consider a wide range of child protection matters including placing Area Child Protection Committees on a statutory footing. Decisions on the need for primary legislation will follow on from the completion of the strategy.
Care Workers
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to provide minimum guaranteed hours of employment to home helps and care workers. [184935]
Angela Smith: In Northern Ireland, decisions about minimum hours of employment for home helps and analogous staff are a matter for HSS Trusts in the context of presenting need, resources and service priorities.
The primary objective for HSS Trusts is to deliver effective, efficient and flexible community care services to persons in need. However, HSS Trusts do endeavour to allocate sufficient work to home helps and the other home care staff they employ that give viable work opportunities while seeking to manage the presenting demand for these services.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken in Northern Ireland (a) to make conditions of employment more attractive for and (b) otherwise to reward the dedication and service provided in the community by care workers and home helps. [184936]
Angela Smith:
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is currently negotiating with representatives of local Social Services Staff with the aim of including this group of staff in the new pay system for Health Service staff, Agenda for Change. This is a major initiative being undertaken jointly by all four UK Health Departments in partnership with the main trade unions representing staff to modernise the NHS and HPSS Pay System. The objective of the new pay system is to ensure equal pay for work of equal value and to provide opportunities for staff to develop their knowledge and skills.
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The new pay system is currently being tested within 12 sites in the NHS in England, and is scheduled to be introduced within the HPSS in Northern Ireland with effect from October 2004.
Electoral Fraud
Mr. Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions for electoral fraud there have been in Northern Ireland in each of the last four years. [184560]
Mr. Pearson: Information is not available on the number of arrests made for electoral fraud. The most recent courts data available is 2002 and in the four years up to then there have been two convictions recorded for election offences in Northern Ireland:
In 2001 there was one conviction for "corrupt practice at local election"
In 2002 there was one conviction for "personation at a Westminster election".
Fisheries Conservancy Board Vessel
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated cost of repairs to the new Fisheries Conservancy Board vessel have been since 5 May. [184831]
Angela Smith: No repairs have been made to the vessel since 5 May. Regarding the incident that occurred on 7 July 2004 when the vessel hit a submerged object at sea, an estimate of the cost of repairing it is not yet available. An assessor from the Fisheries Conservancy Board's insurance company has inspected the vessel and his report is awaited.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the new Fisheries Conservancy Board vessel has needed repairs since it was launched. [184832]
Angela Smith: The vessel sustained damage to its propellers as a result of striking a submerged object while on patrol off the North Coast on 7 July 2004.
Flags Regulations 2000
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Equality Commission about the effectiveness of the Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000. [185085]
Mr. Spellar: There has been no such recent contact.
Juvenile Justice Centre
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many juveniles, broken down by gender, have been locked up in the Juvenile Justice Centre for (a) 20 hours, (b) 21 hours, (c) 22 hours, (d) 23 hours and (e) 24 hours in each month of this year. [185086]
Mr. Spellar:
The Juvenile Justice Centre for Northern Ireland does not collect this information routinely at present. The information is contained in paper records. The cost of obtaining this information would be significant and disproportionate. The Centre has
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recently amended its recording systems to collect information on single separation and the Centre is planning to store all such information on a database.
MRSA
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in what circumstances hospitals in Northern Ireland are required to provide strict isolation for MRSA sufferers; and if he will make a statement. [184775]
Angela Smith: The Government recognise that the emergence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) over the last twenty years represents a serious threat to the prevention, control and successful treatment of infection. It is committed to taking forward a wide range of actions to reduce the emergence and spread of MRSA and its impact on the treatment of infection.
In Northern Ireland, the Chief Medical Officer has issued guidance to health and social service trusts on MRSA and the management and control of hospital infection, and on resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents, in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
The guidance requires hospitals to carry out a risk assessment on a patient found to be colonised or infected with MRSA. The result of the assessment determines how the patient is managed and the type of isolation required, if any.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what surveillance has been undertaken by hospitals in Northern Ireland in respect of MRSA; and if he will make a statement. [184776]
Angela Smith: It has been a mandatory requirement for acute trusts to report MRSA bacteraemia rates since 2002 to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Northern Ireland. The Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance Centre (HISC) based at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast since 2001 was formed to assist acute trusts in Northern Ireland to undertake nosocomial infections surveillance at local level. HISC commenced its work on orthopaedic surgical site infections and is developing further modules.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many MRSA cases were recorded by the Northern Ireland equivalent of the Public Health Laboratory Service in each year from 1983; and if he will make a statement. [184778]
Angela Smith: Information on MRSA infection in Northern Ireland has only been available from 2001 when a pilot exercise on bacteraemias was undertaken prior to the introduction of the mandatory reporting system in April 2002. The following numbers of patient episodes of such MRSA infection were recorded:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 228 |
| 2002–03 | 218 |
Andrew Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what independent inspections are
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undertaken of hospital hygiene management programmes in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [184779]
Angela Smith: The responsibility for cleaning and inspection of hospital hygiene lies with each of the Trusts and information relating to independent inspections is not held centrally on behalf of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS). However DHSSPS is aware that some Trusts do carry out internal inspections on their hygiene management programmes. Hospital hygiene management programmes in Northern Ireland are not inspected independently on behalf of DHSSPS.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance has been given since 19 March 1997 to the (a) development and (b) use in hospitals in Northern Ireland of new (i) paints and (ii) cleaning products able to kill known microbes; and if he will make a statement. [184780]
Angela Smith: The responsibility for refurbishment and cleaning of hospitals in Northern Ireland lies with each of the hospital trusts. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety does not hold information on the use of paints and cleaning products able to kill known microbes centrally.
New build facilities are however constructed to the standards specified in the NHS Estates, Health Building Notes, which provide for anti-microbial paint finishes in specialist sterile areas such as operating theatres.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken in Northern Ireland to implement the guidelines for combating MRSA set out in the report of the working party headed by Mr. G. Duckworth since its publication in 1990; and if he will make a statement. [184781]
Angela Smith: The 1990 guidance, revised in 1998, is followed in Northern Ireland. A combined working party made up of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, the Hospital Infection Society and the Infection Control Nurses Association are currently revising the guidelines.
On receipt of the revised guidelines, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety will take forward the development of appropriately revised local protocols.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he proposes to introduce to tackle MRSA in nursing homes in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [184782]
Angela Smith:
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety issued guidelines for residential and nursing home staff for the management of residents with MRSA in 1996. These are in the process of being revised and updated. The Department's Regional Advisory Committee on Communicable Disease Control is currently considering a report commissioned on an infection control nursing strategy for Northern Ireland. It deals with the service to the statutory sector including community and secondary care services, the independent sector including nursing homes, and primary care.
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Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which hospitals in Northern Ireland stock antibiotics against strains of MRSA; and if he will make a statement. [184783]
Angela Smith: All acute hospitals in Northern Ireland have access to antibiotics effective against strains of MRSA.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which antibiotics are deemed by his Department to be effective against strains of MRSA; and if he will make a statement. [184784]
Angela Smith: The majority of MRSA strains are sensitive to the following antibiotics: vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, synercid, rifampicin, fucidin and the tetracyclines.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage change in the incidence of MRSA was in Northern Ireland in each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement. [184785]
Angela Smith: Information on the incidence of MRSA bacteraemias in Northern Ireland is available only from 2001. These figures showed a reduction of 10 cases, 4.4 per cent., between 2001–02 and 2002–03. Figures for 2003–04 are not yet available.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance he gives to the Ambulance Service in Northern Ireland on (a) combating MRSA and (b) infection control generally; and what additional resources he plans to make available for this purpose. [184786]
Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service developed a protocol for the management of MRSA patients during transportation, which was agreed by the relevant local specialists in infection control and local hospitals. The protocol was issued to all staff in 1999.
Training in general precautions and management of MRSA patients during transportation is provided to all operational staff during their basic training and as appropriate and necessary during their regular post proficiency training. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is currently reviewing this training and its compliance with the recently published Controls Assurance Standards for the Control of Infections.
The funding for this training is provided from within the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service annual training budget.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of deaths in Northern Ireland were caused by MRSA, or had MRSA as a contributing factor, in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by hospital; and if he will make a statement. [184787]
Angela Smith:
The latest year for which figures are available is 2003. The number and percentage of deaths contributed to by MRSA in Northern Ireland, for this year are given in the following table. Information broken down by hospitals is not provided to prevent the possible disclosure of information on individuals. Work is under way to introduce specific codes for antibiotic
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resistance in conjunction with the World Health Organisation. Active efforts to automate mortality statistics also continue.
| 2003 (provisional data) | |
|---|---|
| All deaths | 14,462 |
| MRSA | 30 |
| Percentage of deaths which mention MRSA | 0.21 |
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the isolation procedures set down by the Department of Health to combat MRSA in England and which were operative as at 19 March 1997 are operative in Northern Ireland; when the procedures were last brought to the attention of hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [184788]
Angela Smith: The isolation procedures used to combat MRSA in England are also in use in Northern Ireland. The most recent Departmental guidance (HSS(MD)9/2000), "the Management and Control of Hospital Infection", was issued to the Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland in April 2000.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has instigated with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ensure that (a) there is correct and consistent reporting of deaths caused by MRSA, or where it is a contributory factor, in Northern Ireland, and (b) death certificates in Northern Ireland are completed as directed by the Government. [184790]
Angela Smith: In the UK, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is used to classify causes of death. ICD does not have a specific code for Methicillin Resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) but statistics on deaths where MRSA was a contributing factor can be obtained. This is done by identifying all deaths with specific ICD codes likely to be linked with MRSA and then manually checking the cause of death written on the death certificate. This is consistent with the approach taken in England and Wales.
Doctors are required to complete the cause of death medical certificate to the best of their knowledge and belief. Guidelines on completing death certificates are included at the front of every book of certificates. Certificates are not available without these instructions. Medical students receive training in their final year on completion of death certificates.
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