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1 Sept 2004 : Column 880W—continued
Witness and Victim Intimidation
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of intimidation of (a) witnesses and (b) victims have been recorded in each year for which figures are available. [184961]
Mr. Blunkett: An exact answer to the question is not available.
The table shows recorded crime figures since 1997 for the offence of perverting the course of justice in England and Wales.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6,779 |
| 1997–98 | 7,108 |
| 1998–99 | 9,216 |
| 1998–99(65) | 9,265 |
| 1999–2000 | 9,637 |
| 2000–01 | 9,763 |
| 2001–02 | 10,287 |
| 2002–03 | 11,295 |
(65) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
The following table gives figures on Court Proceedings by offence:
(66) These data are on the principal offence basis.
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HEALTH
EU Clinical Trials Directive
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU Clinical Trials Directive in the UK. [185535]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The United Kingdom Clinical Trials Regulations 1 to implement the Clinical Trials Directive 2 came into force on 1 May 2004. It is still early to fully assess the impact of the Directive in the UK. Transitional arrangements allowed holders of existing authorisations or exemptions to roll them over as clinical trial authorisations without applying again to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) or paying a fee. The MHRA has met its deadline of 14 days for Phase I applications and of 30 days for all other applications. Generally the new procedures have been introduced without disruption of clinical trials. Industry and academia have both given early positive feedback on the UK's implementation of the Directive.
1 The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 S.I. 1031.
2 Directive 2001/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 April 2001 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to the implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use.
Meat Products (Added Water)
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment the Food Standards Agency has made of the effects of producers injecting water into meat products; [185885]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of supermarkets injecting water into meat products. [185882]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is aware of concerns about trade in products which appear to be raw unprocessed meat but which have been injected with excess added water, in some cases as high as 50 per cent., and moisture retaining ingredients. While there are no food safety concerns the FSA's view is that this practice is unacceptable. It is therefore pressing for stronger legislative controls at European Union level to prohibit use of moisture retaining ingredients, introduce limits on addition of water and improve labelling.
The FSA is aware of concerns about the labelling of some pork products with lower levels of added water which are sold in United Kingdom supermarkets. A stakeholder meeting held earlier this year concluded that label declarations of added water on these products should be sufficiently prominent that consumers can
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make informed choices about the products they buy. The FSA is currently drawing up best practice guidelines to encourage clearer labelling.
Milk Products
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether liquid or powdered milk, from EU member states used in the production of milk products produced in another EU member state can be identified by UK authorities on its import to the UK. [184719]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Milk products from other European Union Member States are in free circulation and would not be subject to any special checks when entering the United Kingdom. They must carry a health mark identifying the establishment from which they come and, through that establishment, it would be possible for enforcement authorities to trace the origin of the milk used to make them.
Abortions
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many abortions have been performed in each year since 1990 at (a) 22 weeks gestation and (b) 23 weeks gestation; [185596]
(2) what the gestational age was of each of the recorded abortions since 1990 for (a) cleft lip and (b) cleft palate; [185601]
(3) how many abortions for (a) cleft lip and (b) cleft palate were performed prior to 1990. [185602]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The available information is contained in the annual Office for National Statistics publication, "Abortion Statistics, series AB"; Office for National Statistics, "Congenital Anomaly Statistics notifications, series MB3" and Department of Health, "Statistical Bulletin 2003/23", copies of which have been placed in the Library.
Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of staff in Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust are agency staff. [185519]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The NHS Professionals special health authority has been established to provide strategic management of the temporary labour market within the national health service. This new organisation, which became fully operational on April 1, 2004, will in future collect and analyse information on agency usage in the NHS trusts, in which the service is implemented. However, this will not capture all agency usage within the NHS, as not all organisations utilise NHS Professionals.
Asthma
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of (a) child and (b) adult asthma was in each of the last 25 years, broken down by region. [186100]
Dr. Ladyman:
This information is not collected centrally.
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Breast Screening
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of breast screening sites provide screening for women aged between 65 and 70 years; and if he will make a statement. [186268]
Miss Melanie Johnson: As at 30 June 2004, 51 per cent. of the 81 local breast screening programmes in England had begun inviting women aged 65 to 70 for breast screening. All local programmes are expected to begin inviting the older women by December 2004 and we are closely monitoring the achievement of this target. Since the age extension began in April 2001, over 250,000 more women have been invited for breast screening. 400,000 more women a year will be invited once the extension is fully implemented.
Care Homes
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people had their needs reviewed within three months of placement in a care home in each local authority. [182642]
Dr. Ladyman: We have issued guidance to local councils under the "Fairer Access" to Care Services in May 2002, which stated that there should be an initial review within three months of help first being provided to the individual. The information on the percentage of people whose needs are reviewed within three months of placement in a care home is not held centrally.
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available for the elderly in care homes in the Thames Valley in (a) 2004, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [186001]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 22 July 2004]: The table shows the number of places available for adults aged 65 and over in residential and nursing care homes in the Thames Valley, at 31 March for the years 1997 and 2001.
| Residential | 2,3Nursing | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 6,300 | — |
| 2001 | 6,500 | 4,600 |
(67) For 1997 residential care, the Thames Valley has been taken as Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire local authorities. For 2001, the Thames Valley has been taken as Bracknell Forest, Milton Keynes, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham local authorities for residential care; and Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire health authorities for nursing care.
(68) Nursing home figures include places in general nursing homes, mental nursing homes and private hospitals and clinics.
(69) Information is not available by age band at health authority level for 1997.
Note:
Numbers of rounded.
I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.
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