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Pregnancy Advisory Service

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money was made available to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service for its work in each of the last three years. [202714]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department has not directly funded the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) in the last three years. We do not collect data on the funding BPAS receives through its contracts with primary care trusts.

Premature Death

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will define the meaning of premature death when used for the purposes of policy making in his Department. [203794]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 9 December 2004]: There is no internationally agreed definition of premature mortality. Following extensive public consultation, the national mortality targets set for specific major diseases in the "Our Healthier Nation White Paper" in 1999, and subsequently adopted in the
 
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Department's public service agreement targets for 2004, use deaths under 75 years to represent "premature mortality". This reflects average expectation of life at birth, which is currently around 75 years for men and 80 years for women.

Primary Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of primary care premises are over 30 years old. [203057]

Mr. Hutton: This information is not collected centrally.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Department will be able to assess expenditure in individual cases for each primary care trust. [202232]

Mr. Hutton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) publish audited accounts information in the autumn following the end of the relevant financial year. Audited accounts information for the 2003–04 financial year is available locally for each PCT and from the Department for all PCTs. The audited information in respect of the 2004–05 financial year for all PCTs will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2005.

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what public scrutiny takes place of the spending of primary care trusts top-sliced for private operations; [202579]

(2) what percentage of primary care trust funds in each strategic health authority area are top-sliced for private operations. [202580]

Mr. Hutton: There is no top-slicing of primary care trusts' (PCTs) funds for private operations. It is the responsibility of PCTs to determine how best to use their funding based on the needs of their local populations, taking into account Government policy as well as national and local priorities.

While no top-slicing takes place, PCTs' accounts are, of course, subject to annual audit.

Programme Budget Project Group

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the report of the programme budget project group will be published. [202231]

Mr. Hutton: The programme budget project group has no plans to publish a report. However, a programme budget spend analysis produced by primary care trusts as part of their 2003–04 financial returns will be made public shortly.

Psychotherapy

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision for psychotherapy is available under the national health service in England. [201173]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect information centrally concerning the provision of psychological therapies by type or location. Decisions about provision are a local responsibility, taking into account national guidance, such as the "National
 
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Service Framework for Mental Health (1999)", copies of which are available in the Library, and "Organising and Delivering Psychological Therapies (2004)".

The Department also published "Treatment Choice in Psychological Therapies and Counselling (2001)" to aid decisions about which forms of psychological therapy are most appropriate for which patients. Copies of the last two documents have been placed in the Library.

These publications are available on the Department's website at http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolteyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/MentalHealth/MentalHealthPublications/fs/en?CONTENT IO=4016395&chk =cxOUgO

Public Bodies

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by (a) the Human Tissue Authority and (b) the Commission for Public and Patient Involvement in Health; what the running cost of each body was in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the future of each body. [203113]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) will be created in shadow form on 1 April 2005 to draw up the codes of practice and inspection arrangements relating to the taking, storage and use of human tissue and organs. The number of staff and running costs have yet to be decided.

The HTA will exist until 2008 when it will be replaced by the Regulatory Authority for Fertility and Tissue (RAFT). RAFT will be responsible for regulating and inspecting all functions relating to human tissue, including blood, organs, tissues, cells, gametes and embryos and will absorb the functions.

During 2003–04, the running costs for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) were £23,677,000 and as at 31 March 2004, there were 197 whole time equivalent posts.

The Department arm's length body review announced the abolition of CPPIH and subject to legislation, its dissolution is due to be completed by 1 August 2006.

Royal Free Hospital

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reconfiguration of maternity services at the Royal Free Hospital. [203212]

Dr. Ladyman: I understand that proposals concerning the future of maternity services in North Central London, including those provided at the Royal Free Hospital, are still being considered within the strategic health authority. Formal consultation on the proposals is expected to take place in summer 2005 once this work is complete.

Schizophrenia

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have taken place between the National Institute for Mental Health England and
 
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the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) regarding the implementation of NICE guidelines on the management of schizophrenia. [203198]

Ms Rosie Winterton: There have not been any discussions between the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) specifically about the implementation of the NICE guidelines on the management of schizophrenia. However, NIMHE, through its development centres, provides practical support to national health service trusts in reviewing their service provision for all those with mental ill health, and support to implement national guidance including that developed by NICE.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme; and if he will make a statement; [199456]

(2) what assessment he has made of the Five-a-Day programme. [199460]

Miss Melanie Johnson: A NOP World survey of the national school fruit scheme was published in October 2003. The NOP World survey found that over a quarter of children and their families were eating more fruit at home after joining the scheme, rising to nearly a third in social class C2DE. In addition, nearly half of all parents thought the scheme has made them more aware of the importance of fruit for a healthy diet. A full evaluation report of the impact of the school fruit and vegetable scheme on children's diet from the Big Lottery Fund will be published in 2005.

A full evaluation of the 5 A DAY community initiatives will be completed by December 2005. Evaluation of the five pilot community initiatives reported an increased intake of one portion per day among those groups with the lowest intakes. The 5 A DAY communications programme aims to influence attitudes towards awareness of 5 A DAY, which are monitored by an annual consumer tracking study commissioned by the Department, next due to be carried out this month. It is also monitored by the Food Standards Agency's consumer attitudes survey, which reported an increase in awareness of the 5 A DAY message from 52 per cent., in 2002 to 59 per cent., in 2003. Results for 2004 are due soon.

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