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2 Nov 2004 : Column 168W—continued
Youth Clubs
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youth clubs have been run (a) by local authorities and (b) by voluntary organisations in each of the past seven years. [194817]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 1 November 2004]: This information is not held centrally.
HEALTH
New Health Centres
14. Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new health centres linked with sports facilities are being developed under local investment finance trust projects. [195012]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This information is not held centrally across all LIFT schemes. The East Lancashire LIFT project has a proposal for a joint Health and Leisure Centre at St. Peter's, in Burnley. I would like to commend my hon. Friend for the commitment and support he has shown to this project, which will transform access to health and leisure services in the centre of Burnley.
Pneumonia Vaccinations
17. Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of pneumonia vaccinations for elderly people. [195015]
Dr. Ladyman: The pneumococcal immunisation programme for older adults is being introduced over a three-year period. From April this year, all those aged 75 years and over become eligible to receive the vaccination. From 1 April 2005, the programme will be extended to all people aged 65 years and over.
Smoking
18. David Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the Scientific
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Committee on Tobacco and Health's report, "Second-hand Smoke: A Review of Evidence since 1998"; and if he will make a statement. [195016]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The SCOTH report will be published alongside the White Paper.
Green Minister
19. Mrs. Calton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work undertaken by his Department's Green Minister in the last three months. [195017]
Miss Melanie Johnson: As the Department's Green Minister, I have a number of responsibilities that contribute to sustainable development goals. These include tackling health inequalities, healthy eating and physical activity. Our public health consultation, Choosing Health? which ran until the end of June, will also make an important contribution to the sustainable development agenda.
Foundation Hospitals
21. Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the effectiveness of the foundation hospital policy. [195019]
Mr. Hutton: The first 20 NHS Foundation Trusts were established in April and July of this year. I am informed by the Chairman of Monitor (whose statutory name is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) that they are using their freedoms to raise additional capital to invest in improved services for patients.The Healthcare Commission is currently undertaking its review of NHS Foundation Trusts policy. It is our expectation that the report of the outcome of the review will be published next summer.
Worcestershire Royal Hospital
23. Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of accident and emergency admissions at the Worcestershire Royal hospital in each of the last five years. [195021]
Dr. Ladyman: The data requested are not collected for individual hospitals.
Zero-star-rated Trusts
24. Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the assistance provided to national health service trusts which have received a zero star rating. [195022]
Mr. Hutton: Zero star trusts receive support from their Strategic Health Authorities and the Modernisation Agency's Performance Development Team. Some 40 of the 51 trusts who received support improved their star rating. Independent evaluations have confirmed the effectiveness of the support provided, which is focussed mainly on organisational and cultural change.
Pharmacists
25. Mr. Pollard: What role he plans for pharmacists in (a) promoting health care and (b) providing information to patients. [195023]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The new contractual framework for community pharmacists, subject to a ballot of contractors, should go live from April 2005. Nationally, it comprises a range of services which all pharmacists will provide, including helping patients make better use of medicines through repeat dispensing, promoting public health, providing information and support to patients, as well as signposting them to other healthcare providers. Primary care trusts will be able to commission a range of additional services from community pharmacists to meet specific patient needs locally.
Breast Cancer
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for radiotherapy treatment for people diagnosed with breast cancer for each strategic health authority. [195274]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 1 November 2004]: Data on waiting times for radiotherapy are not collected centrally. The national health service cancer plan set out maximum waiting time targets for cancer treatment, which may include radiotherapy where this is given as a first definitive treatment. From December 2001, there is a one month maximum wait from diagnosis to first treatment for breast cancer and from 2002, there is a maximum two month wait from urgent referral to treatment for breast cancer. Both these targets are being achieved for 97 per cent. of patients. Further information on cancer waiting times performance is available on the Department's website at www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/.
To tackle radiotherapy waiting times, we are increasing the numbers of therapy radiographers in post and in training, making better use of existing staff, making unprecedented investment in new radiotherapy equipment and streamlining the patient journey.
Charity Food Labelling
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce regulations requiring mandatory labelling on homemade cakes, biscuits and jams sold in aid of charity; and if he will make a statement. [193879]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There are no such plans.
Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage (a) of all patients, (b) of patients aged 65 years and over and (c) of patients with mental health problems were seen and treated within four hours at the Chesterfield and north Derbyshire Royal Hospital's Accident and Emergency department, in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [194781]
Dr. Ladyman:
The information is shown in the following tables. However, this data has only been collected centrally by the Department since 2002–03. It should be noted that the information in relation to patients over 65, or for patients with mental health problems is not collected centrally.
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(7) Data against the four hour A&E performance target has only been collected since quarter 2 in 2002–03. Quarterly data, rather than annual information, has therefore been provided.
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