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2 Dec 2004 : Column 249W—continued
Sexual Health
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will encourage health authorities to use both molecular and serological techniques to detect chlamydia trachomatis; [199433]
(2) what assessment has been made of the (a) cost and (b) diagnostic accuracy of (i) serology and (ii) antibody testing for chlamydia trachomatis; [199434]
(3) if he will commission a comparison of diagnostic techniques for chlamydia trachomatis covering all possible samples on persons of different ages from different socio-economic backgrounds; [199435]
(4) how much was spent on (a) screening and (b) molecular techniques in relation to chlamydia trachomatis in each of the last five years; [199436]
(5) if the Government will use some of the funds allocated for sexually transmitted diseases on comparing molecular and serological techniques in relation to chlamydia trachomatis; [199437]
(6) what methods are being assessed for detection of asymptomatic and deep-seated chlamydia trachomatis infections which molecular testing cannot detect. [199438]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The latest evidence on the prevalence of chlamydia suggests that up to 300,000 sexually active 16 to 24-year-olds may have undiagnosed chlamydia, and addressing this is a priority for the Department, through the national chlamydia screening programme. The recently published White
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Paper on public health committed additional funding of £80 million to accelerate the roll-out of this programme by 2007.
Evidence shows that the use of urine tests for chlamydia, such as the nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs), is the most appropriate and sensitive method to use for the national chlamydia screening programme, where the test has to be simple, safe, precise, validated and acceptable to the population being screened.
The use of blood tests to diagnose chlamydia is undeniably useful in certain circumstances, for example, more detailed diagnostic testing in cases of infertility. The decision on the method of testing offered to patients, however, is a clinical one, made at the discretion of medical physicians, and will be made locally.
The Government have no plans to commission a comparison of diagnostic techniques for chlamydia trachomatis, nor a comparison of molecular and serological techniques.
The Department has invested £13.5 million in the national chlamydia screening programme over the three years 2002–03 to 2004–05, plus a further £7 million in 2004–05 to improve access to NAATs.
Telecommunications Masts
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to investigate the potential health hazards of telecommunications mast emissions. [200132]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This year, the National Radiological Protection Board's (NRPB) independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) reviewed all the research on possible health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields since the Independent Expert Group on mobile phones and health (the Stewart Report) published in 2000. AGNIR concluded that "Exposure levels from living near to mobile phone base stations are extremely low and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health." Exposure measurements are documented on the websites of the NRPB at www.nrpb.org and Ofcom at www.ofcom.org.uk.
The potential health effects of radiofrequency from mobile phone technology more generally are being investigated under the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) Programme at www.mthr.org.uk. Two projects within this programme have been designed specifically to investigate the effects of exposure from mobile phone base stations.
Summaries of ail the MTHR projects can be seen on the website.
CABINET OFFICE
Civil Service (Pay Negotiations)
Paul Holmes:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimated number of staff days in all departments, agencies and other civil service
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organisations involved in conducting pay negotiations across the civil service was in the period April 2003 to March 2004. [200963]
Ruth Kelly: Responsibility for pay and appraisal systems, outside of the senior civil service, is delegated to departments and agencies. This information is not held centrally as any negotiations that take place regarding pay arrangements are the responsibility of individual departments and agencies.
Civil Service Pensions
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how the figures for (a) public service-wide additional costs for future service of £150 million per annum and (b) a public service-wide one-off cost of £3 billion to cover all past service in respect of the amendment of the pre-2002 Civil Service Pension Scheme to allow widows and widowers of civil servants who remarry or cohabit to retain their pension rights were calculated; how soon the additional costs would taper off; and if she will make a statement. [200023]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on 13 October 2004, Official Report, column 317W, which relates to the costs for public service schemes as a whole. Any change to Civil Service Pension arrangements would have implications for other public service schemes.
The costs for the public service schemes as a whole break down into the following elements:
The Government Actuary estimated "past service costs", that is, capitalised costs of items (1), (2)(a), (2)(b) and the accrued service element of item (2)(c) at around £3 billion in the year 2000.
The future service element of item (2)(c) was estimated to cost an additional £150 million per year.
For the pre 2002 Civil Service Pension Scheme alone, it is estimated that it will take about 10 years for the cash flow in relation to current pensioners to peak and then begin to taper off. For current active and deferred members it is estimated that the cash flow associated with past service costs would peak in around 25 years and then begin to taper off. Future service costs would continue for between 30 and 40 years.
Equal Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) proportion and (b) number of departments, agencies and other civil service organisations carried out an equal pay audit or review in 2004; what steps are being taken in response to the reviews; and what plans she has for further periodic equality reviews. [200585]
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Ruth Kelly: Every department and agency produced an equal pay action plan in 2003 as part of the Government's commitment to address the gender pay gap. Cabinet Office continues to encourage civil service organisations to monitor progress with their action plans and to review their pay systems following implementation of pay awards for equality proofing purposes.
Responsibility for conducting equal pay audits and reviews, outside the senior civil service, is delegated to departments and agencies. Information regarding more recent equal pay audits will be held at a local level.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many written questions for the Department were unanswered when Parliament Prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003–04 Session. [201542]
Performance Assessment
John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the difference was between average (a) men's and (b) women's performance assessment at each grade, band or salary range, broken down by (i) national and (ii) London rates in each department at the latest date for which figures are available; [200588]
(2) what the difference was between performance assessment by (a) ethnic group, (b) disabled and able-bodied and (c) part-time and full-time employees at each grade, band or salary range, broken down by (i) national and (ii) London rates in each Department at the latest date for which figures are available. [200589]
Ruth Kelly: Responsibility for pay and appraisal systems, outside of the senior civil service, is delegated to departments and agencies. The information requested is not held centrally as any analysis of performance assessments will be conducted at a local level.
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