| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Oct 2005 : Column 232W—continued
Registered Nursing Care Contributions
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients received registered nursing care contributions in each year since the payment was introduced, broken down by area. [15773]
Mr. Byrne: In October 2001, the Government delivered on time the commitment given in the NHS Plan to introduce national health service-funded nursing care, for those self funding their care, in a care home providing nursing care who had previously paid for the care they needed from a registered nurse. From April 2003, all residents of care homes providing nursing care, including those placed by local authorities, have received NHS funding of their nursing care, rather than that element of their care being provided by the local council and subject to a means test.
The numbers of people receiving free NHS nursing care are shown in the table.
Note:
The data show a count of the number of people benefiting from NHS-funded nursing care at the end of each year for which data were collected.
Source:
Local delivery plan returns.
10 Oct 2005 : Column 233W
Renewable Energy
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of electricity used by buildings in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies came from renewable sources in each year since 1997. [15388]
Jane Kennedy: The proportion of energy purchased that comes from renewable sources for the Department's main London estate is shown in the table.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | 0 |
| 1999–2000 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 43 |
| 2002–03 | 76 |
| 2003–04 | 61 |
| 2004–05 | 100 |
The proportion of energy purchased from renewable sources for the National Health Service Purchasing and Supplies Agency (NHS PASA) is shown in the table.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 43.4 |
| 2002–03 | 99 |
| 2003–04 | 99 |
| 2004–05 | 84 |
Note:
NHS PASA came into existence as a departmental agency in April 2000.
Solpaflex
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the drug Solpaflex became available on national health service prescription; and if she will make a statement; [15492]
10 Oct 2005 : Column 234W
(2) what information she has received on the number of persons prescribed the drug Solpaflex on national health service prescription; and if she will make a statement. [15493]
Jane Kennedy: Solpaflex, in both tablet and gel forms, was first licensed for use in the United Kingdom in 1996, when it was first dispensed on prescription in the community, in England. The licence for the gel form expired in 2001, when the product ceased to be prescribed. The tablet form is still licensed and can be prescribed.
The Department does not hold data on the number of people who receive a particular drug. However, since 1996, Prescription Pricing Authority data show small numbers of prescriptions for Solpaflex, in both forms, in any one year, have never exceeded 400.
Special Care Baby Units (Essex)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies had to be moved between hospitals to access a special care baby unit in the Essex Health Authority area in each of the last five years. [15604]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of babies moved between hospitals to access special care baby units within the Essex Strategic Health Authority area is not collected centrally.
Speech Therapists
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many full-time equivalent posts for (a) speech therapists and (b) occupational therapists were vacant (i) 12, (ii) 24, (iii) 36 and (iv) 48 months ago; and if she will make a statement; [12386]
(2) how many established full-time equivalent posts for (a) speech therapists and (b) occupational therapists there are in (i) England and (ii) each primary care trust; how many such posts are vacant; and if she will make a statement. [12389]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the number of vacancies lasting three months or more is collected in the national health service workforce vacancy survey as at 31 March each year. The information available has been placed in the Library.
The number of occupational therapists employed in the NHS has increased by 4,853, or 42 per cent. since 1997 and speech and language therapists have increased by 1,685, or 35 per cent. In addition, there have been increases in the number of students entering training for these professions of 64 per cent. and 62 per cent. respectively since 1999–2000.
Suffolk West Primary Care Trust
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by Suffolk West Primary Care Trust on salaries and wages for (a) general and senior managers, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and cleric staff in each of the last five financial years. [15097]
10 Oct 2005 : Column 235W
Ms Rosie Winterton: The table shows the information requested for the period 2002–03 to 2003–04. This is the earliest available data.
Source:
Annual financial returns of Suffolk West PCT.
Sustainable Development
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment is made (a) of the environmental impact and (b) against sustainable development criteria of bids made for contracts awarded by her Department; who makes such assessments; and whether such assessments are published. [15181]
Caroline Flint: Although the Department has not yet created its own sustainable development procurement policy, its procurement guidance includes advice on sustainable development. Responsibility for assessment rests with the individual business units undertaking the procurement. The Department's procurement guidance advises staff to observe the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency's, which is an Executive agency of the Department, comprehensive sustainable development policy.
Where appropriate, contracts will have sustainable development and environmental assessments built into the evaluation criteria. Evaluations are the responsibility of the individual business units that own the contracts.
Information on evaluation is kept on file.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements her Department has in place to publish reports on their key sustainable development impacts. [15182]
Caroline Flint: The Government's sustainable development strategy, Securing the Future", requires all Government Departments to produce an action plan by December 2005. The Department is in the process of forming its action plan. The action plan itself is likely to clarify the future mechanisms for publishing progress against key actions and there is ongoing discussion about this.
The Department does not currently publish a separate report on sustainable development, but it does publish a section on sustainable development in its annual report both in terms of its operations and its policy.
The Department also completes the annual sustainable development in a Government questionnaire, the results of which are published by the Sustainable Development Commission.
10 Oct 2005 : Column 236W
In addition to this, the Department publishes a statement on its website on sustainable development. This statement is kept up to date by named personnel and regularly reviewed.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to assist the delivery of sustainable development within Government and what progress has been made on her Department's Sustainable Development Strategy. [15434]
Caroline Flint: The Department is committed to the sustainability of its estate and operations, and isworking to meet the targets set out in the framework for sustainable development on the Government Estate. The Department's performance is monitored and reported on in the Sustainable Development in Government" report.
Departmental officials take part in the discussions on the framework, which is currently under review, as part of the work of the Sustainable Operations Board (SOB) and the SOB working group.
The Department's operational environmental strategy for monitoring and reporting on the use of energy and resources within its buildings, available since 1 January 2002, is now under review. It aims to enable the Department to contribute to a better environment and through this, improve people's health.
As part of our commitment to meeting targets, the Department is implementing an environmental management system (EMS) and training on this. Initiatives include saving energy and water and reducing the impacts of waste and travel. This will be relevant to staff in all buildings.
The Department has been purchasing at least 50 per cent. of its electricity from renewable sources since 2000–01, meaning that by 2003–04, overall carbon emissions had been reduced—from gas and electricity—by 15 per cent. compared with 1999–2000. The Department is in the process of rationalising its estate, and this will provide further opportunities to reduce overall consumption levels. In addition to this, the Department encourages use of video and tele-conferences, and staff to work from home where appropriate, eliminating up to 1,200 journeys a month.
The Department is in the process of forming its action plan. The plan will aim to clarify those areas already in progress in the Department, new areas for action; how both staff and stakeholders will become engaged; the mechanism for reporting of progress against targets. The plan will be ready for ministerial approval by December 2005.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |