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Houses in Multiple Occupation

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment the Government have made of the regulatory impact of their plans for licensing of houses in multiple occupation. [7442]

Yvette Cooper: The Government carried out a regulatory impact assessment on the effect of licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) during the formation of the policy. The report of the assessments were published and made available via the Libraries of the House and placed on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website in December 2003.

The Government will also be publishing later this year further regulatory impact assessments to accompany each of the pieces of secondary legislation needed to implement the licensing of HMOs.

London Boroughs (Communication)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent per 1,000 population on external communication by each London borough in each of the last five years. [7461]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The amount spent per 1,000 population on external communication by each London borough in each of the last five years is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Phone Masts

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the planning permissions for mobile phone mast sites that have been refused by the local planning authority but were granted on appeal by (a) the Planning Inspectorate and (b) the Secretary of State since the last revision of PPG 8. [7411]

Yvette Cooper: PPG 8 was last revised in August 2001.

The Planning Inspectorate does not hold information about mobile phone masts specifically, and it could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Actrapid Insulin

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the supply of actrapid (basal) insulin; [5666]

(2) if she will discuss with her EU counterparts Novo Novalisk's intention to discontinue the supply of actrapid insulin in the United Kingdom; [5667]

(3) what her most recent estimate is of the prescribing costs of (a) animal based insulins, (b) actrapid (basal) insulins, (c) humalog (analogue) insulins and (d) other insulins; [5770]
 
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(4) what her estimate is of the number of diabetics prescribed (a) animal based insulins, (b) actrapid based insulins, (c) analogue insulins and (d) other insulins in the last period for which figures are available; [5771]

(5) what steps she has taken to identify alternative (a) manufacturers and (b) suppliers of the insulin products that Novo Nordisk are proposing to withdraw from the United Kingdom. [5772]

Jane Kennedy: Novo Nordisk has informed the Department that it is planning to discontinue Actrapid Penfill insulin in December 2005. The vial presentation of Actrapid insulin will remain available. We have not sought an alternative supplier for the items being discontinued as there remains a number of different insulins and delivery devices available from various manufacturers. It is up to the clinician, in consultation with the patient, to decide which is most suitable. We are in discussion with Novo Nordisk to ensure a smooth transfer for patients to alternative products. We have no plans to consult with other European governments on Novo Novalisk's intention to discontinue the supply of Actrapid insulin.

We do not know the number of people prescribed either animal or human insulin, however, available information covers the number of prescription items and net ingredient cost of insulin dispensed in the community in England. The figures shown in the table were extracted from the prescription cost analysis system for 2004, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Authority.

Insulin	Items (million)	Net ingredient cost (£ million)
Animal derived	0.1	3.4
Human analogue	4.1	193.4
Total	4.2	196.8

Ambulance Service

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 794W, on the London Ambulance Service, what representations she has received concerning independent ambulances. [7251]

Jane Kennedy: The Department has received correspondence on this issue from patients' forums, independent ambulance organisations and national health service trusts. We have also received feedback at stakeholder consultation events and informally from NHS colleagues.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 794W, on the London Ambulance Service, when the guidance on ambulance livery will be issued. [7252]

Mr. Byrne: There are already clear rules on the use of the national health service logo and crown badge by third party organisations. The law is similarly clear that green and yellow retro-reflective markings should only be used by NHS ambulance services.
 
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We will communicate over the summer how these existing rules apply to independent ambulance services.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the reasons for the change in the number of emergency calls to ambulance services in the last five years. [7459]

Mr. Byrne: The number of emergency calls to ambulance services has increased by around 6 to 7 per cent. a year since 2000–01. During this time, the number of calls per incident has increased. This is largely attributed to greater use of mobile phones.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on restricting provision of medical care to failed asylum seekers; and if she will make a statement. [3864]

Jane Kennedy: The Government are committed to providing protection for those individuals found to be genuinely in need. All applications for asylum are considered individually and on their own merits by the Home Office in line with the United Kingdom's obligations under the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, any individual of any nationality who is found by the Home Office and the independent Immigration Appellate Authority not to be in need of asylum or international protection is expected to leave the UK.

Anyone is entitled to receive emergency or immediately necessary treatment to save life or to prevent a condition from becoming life-threatening, where in the clinical opinion of a health professional this is required. In the case of hospital treatment, however, they may be asked to pay for it if they are no longer eligible to receive it free of charge. A failed asylum seeker, who is receiving hospital treatment at the time their status was determined, will continue to receive that course of treatment free of charge until that course of treatment has been completed, or until they leave the country. Failed asylum seekers seeking routine elective hospital treatment will be expected to pay for it in the same way as any other chargeable overseas visitor.

General practices currently have the same discretion to accept or refuse applications from failed asylum seekers to join their lists of national health service patients as they have for applications from other people.

Audiology Services

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress audiology clinics are making towards the Government's target that no one will wait longer than 18 weeks for treatment, including diagnostics, by 2008; [6462]

(2) how she plans to ensure that audiology departments meet the Government's target that no one will wait longer than 18-weeks for their treatment, including diagnostics, by 2008. [6471]

Mr. Byrne: Progress towards meeting the 18-week target will be assessed by monitoring activity and waiting time data against the trajectories in strategic health authorities' (SHAs) local delivery plans. These
 
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data returns will for the first time, subject to successful piloting, include activity and waiting times for pure tone audiometry. SHAs are working with primary care trusts to develop their plans.

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