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Obesity

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to encourage people suffering from obesity to lose weight, with particular reference to those in disadvantaged areas. [3899]

Caroline Flint: Better services to help people, including those in disadvantaged areas, to lose weight and then maintain a more healthy weight are among the key issues covered in the Government White Paper Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier". Specific action includes an obesity awareness campaign, the development of a comprehensive care pathway and a weight loss guide.

Panton-Valentine Leukocidin

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department commissioned into the presence and spread of the strains of staphylococcus aureus with Panton-Valentine Leukocidin. [3387]

Jane Kennedy: No research has been commissioned into the prevalence of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin producing Staphylococcus aureus". However, the Department is investigating the feasibility of a survey to establish the prevalence of community acquired staphylococcal infections, expected to provide evidence on the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus" with Panton-Valentine Leukocidin.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to make medical practitioners aware of the symptoms of infections with staphylococcus aureus with Panton-Valentine Leukocidin. [3388]

 
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Jane Kennedy: The Health Protection Agency has already published a number of articles alerting healthcare professionals to these infections and the Chief Medical Officer will be issuing guidance to raise awareness and promote good practice.

Pedicabs/Rickshaws

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated in hospital for injuries resulting from accidents which occurred while they were passengers in pedicabs and rickshaws in the last period for which figures are available. [3191]

Caroline Flint: The specific information requested is not collected centrally. There is data on people admitted as hospital in-patients but we are not able to identify accidents to passengers of pedicabs and rickshaws as a separate group.

Race Relations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of staff in her Department have received training on the general and specific duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) grade. [3537]

Jane Kennedy: The Department ran mandatory valuing diversity training sessions for all staff in 2002 and 2003. This training included information about the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. The Department is currently developing further training on diversity that will be launched later this year, and which all staff will be expected to complete. This training will include a specific module on race relations.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place to ensure that bodies within the responsibility of her Department comply with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. [3538]

Jane Kennedy: The Department published its new three-year race equality scheme on 27 May 2005, which is available on the Department's website ¹ . This sets out how the Department and its Executive Agencies, NHS Connecting for Health, NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, intend to meet their obligations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. Monitoring reports on the implementation of this Scheme will be made to the Departmental Management Board and Corporate Management Committee on at least a six monthly basis.

¹ www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/EqualityAndHuman Rights/EqualityAndHumanRightsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID =4106482&chk+6BMT/s.

Repeat Prescriptions

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to make the Quality and Outcomes Framework indicator for medication reviews for repeat prescriptions available to (a) hon. Members and (b) the public; [2914]
 
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(2) whether the Healthcare Commission has responsibility for measuring compliance with the quality and outcomes framework indicator for medication reviews for repeat prescriptions; and if she will make a statement. [2916]

Jane Kennedy: All of the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicators are publicly available in the general medical service statement of financial entitlement 2004–05; a copy of which is available in the Library. The data on achievement against the QOF indicator set for 2004–05 will be published in August 2005 by the health and social care information centre (HSCIC).

The Healthcare Commission has responsibility for the performance of primary care trusts (PCTs). The Healthcare Commission does not have responsibility for measuring the compliance with the QOF indicators. PCTs assess compliance by participating practices with the QOF indicators.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to NHS organisations on the length of cycles for which repeat prescriptions should operate. [3412]

Jane Kennedy: Guidance on the length of national health service prescriptions was issued by the National Prescribing Centre in issue 20 of its quarterly newsletter, Connect, in March 2000. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Rheumatology

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of rheumatologists are unable to prescribe anti-TNFa therapy to rheumatoid patients they identify as being suitable for such treatment in accordance with National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines. [3438]

Mr. Byrne: This information is not collected centrally.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of rheumatologists are unable to prescribe anti-TNFa treatments for (a) psoriatic arthritis and (b) ankylosing spondylitis in accordance with guidelines set by the British Society for Rheumatology. [3439]

Mr. Byrne: This information is not collected centrally.

South Birmingham Hospital

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much the contract price for the new South Birmingham Hospital has changed since the initial budgets. [3788]

Mr. Byrne: This is a matter for the Chair of the University Hospital Birmingham National Health Service Foundation Trust. I have written to Mr. John Charlton informing him of your enquiry.

UK Doctors (Developing Countries)

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors who trained in the UK are working in developing countries. [3657]

 
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Mr. Byrne: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Water (Bacterial Contamination)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the frequency and level of bacterial contamination found in (a) bottled and (b) tap water; and what assessment she has made of the health implications therefrom. [4480]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

Spring and bottled drinking water must comply with similar microbiological safety standards to those for the public water supply in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (England) 2000. These parameters are specified in the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations 1999 (as amended). The Food Standards Agency is aware of two withdrawals of bottled water on the grounds of bacterial contamination since 2000.

Water companies in England and Wales have to monitor for specific microbiological parameters at the frequencies and points set out in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 in England and 2001 in Wales. These parameters are total coliform bacteria, E.coli. Enterococci and Clostridium perfringens. The presence of these organisms indicates potential bacterial contamination of the water supply and the possible presence of other pathogens. If any of these organisms is detected, water companies are required to investigate the source of the potential contamination and take appropriate action to protect public health. Monitoring results are included in the annual reports to the Secretary of State by the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, available in the House of Commons Library. Recent reports for the years 1999–2003 are also available on the Drinking Water Inspectorate website (www.dwi.gov.uk).

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