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Breastfeeding

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has given in each of the last five years to voluntary organisations to promote breastfeeding; if she will list those organisations; and for what specific purposes the funding was provided. [11204]

Caroline Flint: The Government are committed to increasing support for breastfeeding and have provided funding to four voluntary organisations over the past five years whose activities support the Department's policy priorities relating to breastfeeding.

The table lists the funds provided to the voluntary organisations from 2000–05.
£

	National Childbirth Trust	Breastfeeding Network	Association of Breastfeeding Mothers	La Leche League
2000–01	20,000	10,000	5,000	5,000
2001–02	30,000	30,000	5,800	10,000
2002–03	32,800	8,000	5,000	7,000
2003–04	16,348	14,893	6,300	10,000
2004–05	—	22,249	—	10,350
Total	99,148	85,142	22,100	42,350

In addition, the Department will also provide £450,000 for the National Breastfeeding Helpline over the next three years.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken into the health impacts of (i) breastfeeding and (ii) bottle feeding. [11573]

Caroline Flint: The Government are committed to increasing support for breastfeeding. There is a wealth of documented evidence internationally on the positive health impacts of breastfeeding and the benefits over feeding infant formula milk. We have responded to this evidence by raising awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding through a national breastfeeding awareness week and focusing on increasing support for breastfeeding, particularly among women from
 
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disadvantaged groups. We have not commissioned specific research into the health impacts of breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much central funding the Department of Health is providing to promote breastfeeding in 2005–06. [10762]

Caroline Flint: The Government are committed to increasing support for breastfeeding and have identified £2 million for activities related to healthy start and breastfeeding, including, national breastfeeding awareness week and a new national breastfeeding helpline. The five yearly national infant feeding survey to be conducted later this year will be funded separately.

Cancer Treatment

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has made to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence regarding its appraisal of cancer treatment-induced anaemia. [6718]

Jane Kennedy: None. The Department, as a registered stakeholder in the development of this appraisal, has been invited to respond to a consultation document published by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on 1 July.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the availability of the cancer drug anastrozole on the NHS in England. [11229]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Anastrozole is licensed in England for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early invasive breast cancer and can be prescribed on the NHS for patients who fit the licensed indication.

New hormonal therapies for the treatment of early breast cancer, including anastrozole, are being appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Guidance is expected in November 2006

The Department has made it clear that funding for newly licensed treatments should not be withheld because guidance from NICE is unavailable.

In these circumstances, we expect primary care trusts to take full account of available evidence when reaching funding decisions. This is confirmed in Health Service Circular 1999/176, which asks NHS bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the treatment or technology first became available.

Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet the Pan Birmingham Cancer Network to discuss their policy on the use of cancer treatments which have not been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. [12989]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is for individual cancer networks and primary care trusts to make decisions on the drugs they wish to make available to patients, taking into account the needs of the local population and, where appropriate, national guidance from National Institute and Health and Clinical Excellence.
 
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Contraception (Under-16s)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls under 16 have been prescribed (a) contraceptive pills, (b) contraceptive implants and (c) contraceptive long-term injections in each of the last eight years; [4639]

(2) what the age is of the youngest girl to have received contraceptive prescriptions in the last five years. [4640]

Caroline Flint: Data from the prescription cost Analysis for England ¹ is only available since 2001 and is shown in table 1. Data may not be complete as under 16s may also have been supplied with contraception under a separate exemption category—exemption for contraception supplied free of charge—and data by age is not available for this category. It should also be noted that contraceptive pills may be prescribed for purposes other than contraception, for example, heavy periods or acne.

¹ Prescription Pricing Authority.

Table 1: Total contraceptive items dispensed by type

	2001	2002	2003	2004
Tablet-based items prescribed	33,000	33,000	34,000	33,000
Injection-based items prescribed	680	560	630	490
Implant-based items prescribed	21	140	76	110
Total	34,000	34,000	34,000	34,000

The estimated number of young women aged under 16 whose primary method of contraception was the pill, injection or implant obtained from community contraception clinics in the period 1996–97 to 2003–04 is shown in table 2.
Table 2: First contacts with women aged under 16 at national health service family planning clinics by primary method of contraception, England, 1996–97 to 2003–04⁽³⁸⁾

	Pill	Injection	Implant
1996–97	23,400	1,000	100
1997–98	22,800	1,200	0
1998–99	21,400	1,200	0
1999–2000	23,000	1,500	0
2000–01	23,800	2,000	100
2001–02	24,200	2,300	100
2002–03	24,500	2,500	200
2003–04	25.000	2.700	300

⁽³⁸⁾Source:
Department of Health Statistics Division; return KT31.
Notes:
1.This data has been calculated from the under 16" exemption category on prescription forms. The data are based on a one in 20 sample of all prescriptions that are exempt from charges; prescriptions are free for the under 16s. Individuals may have more than one prescription dispensed during a 12 month period.
2.Numbers rounded to the nearest hundred; zero indicates less than 50 cases.

Information on the youngest girl to have received contraceptive prescriptions in the last five years is not available.

Dentistry

Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in Hertfordshire have personal dental service contracts; and if she will make a statement. [7486]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The numbers of dental practices which have an open personal dental service (PDS) contract as at 31 May 2005 in Hertfordshire are shown in the table.

Primary care trust	Total number of dental practice addresses	Number of dental practice addresses in PDS
Hertsmere	25	1
Welwyn Hatfield	181	—
North Hertfordshire and Stevenage	39	—
South East Hertfordshire	27	—
Royston, Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford	15	1
Watford and Three Rivers	37	—
Dacorum	30	—
St. Albans and Harpenden	36	1

Note:
The total number of dental surgery addresses include all addresses with either open general or personal dental service contract at 31 March 2005.

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the public funds made available by (a) grants and (b) loans to NHS dental clinics in south Devon in each of the last five years; and whether conditions regarding continuing to practice within the NHS were attached to them. [7845]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 28 June 2005]: In 2001, The Department made £35 million available via the dental care development fund to expand local national health service dental capacity. The Department does not hold details of whether dental clinics in south Devon received funds from the dental care development fund. Health authorities imposed conditions on the grant: that the additional capacity was maintained, usually for three years; and that the practices in receipt of funds contributed around 50 per cent. of the total value of the grant.

The Department made £50 million available to strategic health authorities to buy back local dental capacity from dentists in 2004–05. Of this, £1.56 million was made available to the South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authority, who allocated £242,000 to the primary care trusts covering south Devon: Torbay (£149,000); and south Hams and west Devon (£93,000). The amounts of money allocated to individual dental clinics is not held by the Department. The grant was intended to support NHS practice, but no specific conditions regarding continuing to practice in the NHS were attached to the moneys.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dental practices were operating in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, on 1 May; and how many people were unable to register with an NHS dentist in South Woodham Ferrers on that date. [9315]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 6 July 2005]: The number of dental surgery addresses within the Maldon and South Chelmsford Primary Care Trust (PCT) area, which provides dental services to the residents of South Woodham Ferrers, and the number of people and the percentage of people who are registered with an national health service dentist, based on the 2003 estimated population figures, are shown in the table.
 
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General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS)—number of dental surgery addresses and people registered with a NHS dentist in the specified PCTs at the specified dates

Maldon and South Chelmsford	Number/percentage
Total number of dental surgery addresses as at 30 April 2005	12
Total number of people registered with an NHS dentist as at 31 March 2005	44,222
Percentage of people registered with an NHS dentist(39) as at 31 March 2005	51

⁽³⁹⁾Based on 2003 estimated population figures.
Notes:
1.The number of registrations are based on a snapshot of the Dental Practice Board's registration database taken at the end of March each year and subsequent retrospective notifications of changes to registrations have not been included.
2.An active registration is a patient registered with a dentist at the end of March each year. Some PDS schemes do not have any registrations, for example, dental access centres and will not therefore be included in these figures.
3.A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
4.The patient registrations have been allocated to areas according to the postcode of the dentist's surgery.
5.The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the current boundaries.

There were three dental practices, with eight general dental practitioners (GDPs), operating in South Woodham Ferrers on 1 May 2005. At that point, the three practices had 10,860 NHS patients registered with them.

Information on the number of people unable to register with an NHS dentists in South Woodham Ferrers is not held centrally.

Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT has invested £19,970 revenue to improve access, in addition to the 54,590 it received in capital grants from the Department.

This additional money, which equates to an additional 0.5 general domestic practitioner, has already delivered 1,200 new patient registrations across the PCTs area.

The PCT has also recruited a dentist from Poland, through the Department's international recruitment programme, and expect this to deliver a further 2,000 new patient registrations.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the availability of NHS dental care in Chorley. [9619]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Chorley and South Ribble primary care trust (PCT) received £212,000 in 2004–05. This was divided as follows; £135,423 capital, £57,778 revenue and £19,291 for the salaried dental service (community clinics).
 
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The total additional registrations agreed for the investment of the revenue funds was 9,500. In the 10 months since the allocation of this funding, 4,349 additional registrations have been delivered.

As at 31 May 2005, there are 24 dental practices within the Chorley and South Ribble PCT area. Nine practices have converted to personal dental service (PDS) contracts, meaning 38 per cent. of practices have been secured to provide national health service dentistry. This equates to 38,000 NHS patients registered with the personal dental service practices. Dental Practice Board figures show a total of 102,661 registrations across the PCT area.

These practices—the Jones, Buxton and Eccleston dental practices—received a total of £362,000 in growth money to enable them to increase the number of sessions that they perform. This equates to 26 sessions as approved by the PDS team. The practices concerned are all gradually increasing their list sizes.

Chorley and South Ribble PCT anticipates that over the course of the next five years, 5,000 extra patients will be registered with PDS practices alone. The PCT is working with dental practices to achieve this in a staged manner.

The PCT is also exploring alternatives to increase capacity. This includes international recruitment opportunities, identifying capacity in current premises and including extra dental provision in the PCT's new capital developments. In addition, one of the largest dental practices in Chorley is currently negotiating with the PCT to move to PDS.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average income of NHS dentists in Hampshire in each year since1997. [9795]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Primary care provided by independent general dental practitioners (GDPs) forms the major element of national health service dental services. Most GDPs operate within the national terms of the general dental service (GDS), although some have opted to provide similar patient services under local contracts agreed with their primary care trust (PCT) as part of the recently introduced personal dental service (PDS).

The table shows the estimated average income of NHS dentists in Hampshire for each year since 1997, calculated on a headcount basis. Whole time equivalent information is not available. A number of dentists moved from GDS to PDS, mainly in 2004–05. These dentists are known to be more committed to the NHS; hence, the effect of their leaving the GDS pool is to reduce the average GDS payments for those who remained at the end of 2004–05.

It is important to note that a dentist with an open GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses and that the Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
 
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Average gross fees per GDS dentist⁽⁴⁰⁾ in Hampshire, 1996–97 to 2004–05 £

	Average gross GDS fees(41)	Average gross PDS payments(42)(5508050043)(44)
1996–97	62,966	—
1997–98	61,109	—
1998–99	61,186	—
1999–2000	60,665	—
2000–01	60,041	—
2001–02	61,893	—
2002–03	61,378	—
2003–04	61,445	—
2004–05	56,2246	114,650

⁽⁴⁰⁾Averages are calculated on a headcount basis.
⁽⁴¹⁾Figures based on dentists with an open GDS contract at the end of the financial year.
⁽⁴²⁾Figures based on 114 dentists with a live PDS contract at 31 March 2005.
⁽⁴³⁾No PDS payments are available prior to 2004–05.
⁽⁴⁴⁾Average gross PDS fees are based on the full-year value of contractual commitments made by PCTs.
⁽⁴⁵⁾Break in series due to movement of 114 dentists from GDS to PDS.
Notes:
1.Prison contracts have not been included in this analysis.
2.In view of the boundary changes from health authorities to PCTs in 2002, the areas have been defined using practice postcodes.
3.Average income is shown gross of any income contributed by dental charges payable by patients.

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental surgeries (a) carrying out only NHS work and (b) carrying out both NHS and private work there are in St. Albans; and if she will make a statement. [10845]

Ms Rosie Winterton: As at 31 May 2005, there were 36 national health service dental surgery addresses within St. Albans and Harpenden primary care trust (PCT) ¹ .

A dentist with a general dental services or personal dental services contract may provide as little NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists. Statistical data about dentists' private practice is not collected centrally.

Source:

¹ Dental Practice Board.

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