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15 Nov 2004 : Column 1164W—continued
Departmental Contracts
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by his Department from (a) May 2001 to April 2002, (b) May 2002 to April 2003, (c) May 2003 to April 2004 and (d) May 2004 to the latest date for which information is available, indicating in each case (i) the values of the contracts and (ii) the companies with which the contracts were placed; [196896]
(2) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which previously held contracts with his Department (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Department in each of the past four years; [196897]
(3) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies for which he is responsible in each of the past three years. [196898]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not hold centrally a record of individual contracts nor does it have similar details for its agencies. To secure such details could only obtained at disproportionate cost.
Diet
Richard Younger-Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what dietary guidance his Department gives to the section of the population who are (a) overweight
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and (b) clinically obese; and whether he plans to publish a consumer reference resource identifying different weight loss strategies and products. [196277]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government's advice is that people, including those who are overweight and obese and who wish to attain and maintain a healthy weight, should consume a balanced diet and become more physically active. Guidance covering different weight loss strategies and products can be sought from local general practitioners and health professionals. The White Paper on improving health, which is due out later this year, will contain the Government's strategy for tackling obesity.
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance his Department gives on carbohydrate-controlled diets; what plans he has to review that guidance in the light of recent research on the effectiveness of carbohydrate controlled diets; and if he will make a statement; [196278]
(2) what assessment his Department has made of carbohydrate-controlled diets; what studies his Department has conducted into the effects of carbohydrate controlled diets; and if he will make a statement. [196279]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The Government provide consumers with a wide range of information on nutrition aimed at improving their diet and health, which includes advice on consuming carbohydrates as part of a healthy balanced diet. Dietary advice, including the role of low-fat, low-carbohydrate and very
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low-energy diets will be considered in the forthcoming National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children, where there is good evidence of effectiveness.
Green Ministers
Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings of the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers were attended by the Department's Green Minister in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [190855]
Miss Melanie Johnson: It has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Health Services (Bury, North)
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current waiting times are for patients in Bury, North for each of the 10 most frequent surgical procedures in elective admissions; and if he will make a statement. [195347]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 9 November 2004]: The information is not available in the requested format. However, information relating to waiting times per surgical specialty at the Pennine Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust are shown in the tables.
Source:
Department of Health form KH.
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Hospital Infections
Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on (a) the incidence of MRSA at Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS hospitals and (b) the remedial action which is being taken. [193597]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath (Mr. Godsiff), today.
Hospital Trusts (Press Releases)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for the content of press releases issued by hospital trusts. [190772]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Hospital trusts are themselves responsible for the releases they issue.
Independent Regulator of Foundation Trusts
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the Independent Regulator of Foundation Trusts for 2004–05; and what it is projected to be for (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, (c) 2007–08 and (d) 2009–10. [196197]
Mr. Hutton:
Monitor, the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of national health service foundation trusts, is an independent corporate body established under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003. The
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memorandum of understanding between Monitor and the Department, a copy of which is available in the Library, details Monitor's funding arrangements.
I am informed by the Chairman of Monitor that the budget for 2004–05 is £16.01 million. He has advised me that proposals for 2005–06 have yet to be fully developed, but that the budget is likely to be similar to that for the current financial year.
Mental Health Services
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed in the delivery of mental health services in Plymouth. [198094]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available centrally.
MRSA
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on rates of MRSA at (a) Barnet, (b) Chase Farm, (c) Northwick Park, (d) Royal Free and (e) Edgware Hospitals in each of the last three years. [197629]
Dr. Ladyman: Information on the rates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections is only available for acute national health service trusts and these data are shown in the table.
Data are not collected centrally for Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, of which Edgware Hospital is a part.
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