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Departmental Age Policy

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which it is responsible (i) have a set retirement age which applies to all or most personnel and (ii) have a maximum age beyond which applications for employment will not be considered; and what the age is in each case. [186087]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The retirement age for most staff within the Department and its agencies is currently set at 60. However, the requirement to retire at 60 has been amended from November this year to enable staff to remain in employment until they reach 65 years if they wish. Staff in the senior civil service may also apply to stay on beyond 60 if they wish but this is subject to approval by the Permanent Secretary, or Cabinet Office for the most senior staff.

Departmental Consultancy and Accountancy Costs

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been to the Department of (a) management consultants and (b) accountancy advice in the past year. [180321]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Expenditure by the Department for management consultants and accountancy advice for the year 2003–04 is £10.031 million. The central accounting system does not identify separately management consultants and accountancy advice.

Departmental Energy Efficiency

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on energy efficiency in his Department's buildings. [185866]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This Department fully supports the Government's strategy to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of the Government estate. We have reduced our total annual energy consumption, and are committed to achieving further energy efficiency savings wherever possible. At least 50 per cent. of the Department's energy is now purchased from renewable sources.

Departmental Furnishings

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent in the last year for which figures are available on (a) refurbishment and (b) office furniture. [185876]

Ms Rosie Winterton: For the financial year 2003–04 the Department spent £2,840,000 on refurbishment and £437,595.07 on the purchase of furniture.

Departmental Light Bulbs

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on replacing light bulbs in the last year for which figures are available. [185865]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of replacing lamps on the Department's estate during the financial year 2003–04 was £79,083, inclusive of parts and labour.

Departmental Mobiles

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) capital and (b) running cost was to the taxpayer of mobile phones in his Department in each year since 2001. [185864]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The capital and running costs to the taxpayer of mobile phones in the Department, in each financial year since 2001, are shown in the table.
£

Financial year	Capital costs	Running costs
2001–02	Nil	270,000
2002–03	Nil	280,000
2003–04	Nil	304,000

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile phones owned by his Department have been reported lost or stolen since 2001. [185867]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department takes the protection of all its assets, including mobile phones very seriously. All users are made aware of their obligation to safeguard departmental property and security procedures are kept under constant review. Departmental records do not differentiate between lost and stolen mobile phones and all losses are investigated.

The number of mobile phones owned by the Department, reported lost or stolen since 2001 is shown in the table.

Financial year	Numbers lost/stolen
2001–02	37
2002–03	34
2002–04	29

Departmental Theft

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of theft was to (a) his Department in each of the last 10 years and (b) the executive agencies for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1997. [185874]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has records of losses and thefts from 1997 to date. The table shows the value in replacement terms for each financial year. It is not possible to break these figures down further to show the split between the Department and its agencies.
£

	Value
1997–98	44,648
1998–99	44,204
1999–2000	40,432
2000–01	47,049
2001–02	33,866
2002–03	66,004
2003–04	56,917

 
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Departmental Vehicles

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many road vehicles are operated by the Department and its agencies; how many personal injury accidents involving road vehicles operated by the Department have occurred within each of the last five years; and what the Department's policy is for managing work-related road safety. [185920]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department and its executive agencies operate 82 vehicles.

There have been five personal injury accidents involving Department operated vehicles within the last five years. Records are no longer held centrally for dates of accidents.

The Department has introduced a number of measures to enhance drivers' safety, including revising the vehicle choice list and developing guidance to promote safer driving.

Diabetes

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were for (a) paediatric, (b) adolescent and (c) adult treatment for type two diabetes in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996. [184102]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Counts of finished consultant episode statistics for paediatric, adolescent and adult treatment for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, which includes cases of type two diabetes in England and each strategic health authority of residence for 1996–97 to 2002–03 have been placed in the Library. Figures specific to type two diabetes are not held centrally.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government will achieve their target of developing 20 diagnostic and treatment centres by 2004; and what the state of progress was at 1 April. [182454]

Mr. Hutton: The Government have already achieved their planned target of opening 20 treatment centres (TCs) by 2004. By 1 April 2004 there were 27 national health service TCs and two independent sector (IS) TCs open and two mobile IS cataract treatment centres.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government are on track to achieve their target of developing 47 diagnostic and treatment centres by 2008; and what the state of progress was at 1 April. [182456]

Mr. Hutton: The Government are on track to achieve their target of opening 47 treatment centres (TCs) by the end of 2005. By 1 April 2004, 29 fixed site TCs were open: 27 run by the national health service and two run and managed by the independent sector. In addition, there are two mobile units run by the independent sector providing ophthalmology procedures.

Dog Excrement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people are estimated to be treated
 
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in hospitals and health centres as a consequence of falls following contact with dog excrement on public byways and in public spaces; [185894]

(2) what the estimated cost to public health authorities of treating patients for injuries incurred as a result of falls due to contact with dog excrement (a) on public byways and (b) in public spaces has been in each year since 1997, broken down by strategic health authority. [185895]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not available centrally and it is not possible to estimate the cost.

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