---

21 Nov 2005 : Column 1705W—continued

Attention Deficit Disorder

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines she has issued on the prescription of medicines for adults which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children; and what research the Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on this matter. [24417]

Mr. Byrne: The Department has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to prepare a guideline on the effectiveness of methylphenidate and other pharmacological and psychological interventions in combination or separately for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The guideline should apply to the treatment of children, young people and adults where evidence for treatment effectiveness is available. The Department has not directly commissioned or evaluated research on the prescription of medicines for adults which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.
 
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1706W
 

Audiology Services

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking (a) to improve capacity to deliver audiology services and (b) to reduce waiting times for fitting digital hearing aids. [28477]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 14 November 2005]: Several initiatives have been introduced to improve capacity to deliver audiology services. These are the national framework contract public private partnership to bring in additional independent sector capacity, the development of a new degree to help to address the shortage of audiologists and the introduction of Hearing Direct which is follow-up care and advice for hearing aid users who would benefit from this.

The figures on waiting times for digital hearing aids are not collected centrally.

Barnsley Primary Care Trust (Redundancies)

Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made of the likely cost of redundancies for the Barnsley Primary Care Trust in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007; [20400]

(2) what estimate she has made of the number of posts to be (a) lost and (b) restructured in each health establishment in South Yorkshire for each year from 2005 to 2008, broken down by grade; [20401]

(3) what estimate she has made of the likely cost of redundancies for health establishments in South Yorkshire in each year from 2005 to 2008. [20402]

Mr. Byrne: Strategic health authorities were required to provide proposals for local commissioning arrangements to the Department by 15 October. All proposals, including staff implications, will be subject to full local consultation. Once final decisions have been taken, the Department will consider whether there is a need to issue guidance.

Bed Closures

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the net number of bed closures in (a) London and (b) each NHS Trust in London was in 2004–05, broken down by bed type. [24375]

Mr. Byrne: The Department does not hold this information in the format requested.

Carbon Management Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme. [23728]

Caroline Flint: This Department supports and aims to meet the Government's strategy to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of the Government estate. The Department's estate consists mainly of administrative buildings, and we do not consider that the Carbon Trust's programme would be appropriate at this time,

We will continue to encourage the national health service to work with the Carbon Trust, and to offer best assistance.
 
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1707W
 

Care Homes

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes have closed in the Ribble Valley in each of the last five years. [21164]

Mr. Byrne: The information is not available in the format requested, as the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) does not collect data by constituency. Nor does CSCI collect information on home closures or the reason for closure. CSCI does however collect information on the number of homes that de-register, although this could be for a variety of reasons including closure or to re-register in another category.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the timetable is for acting on those recommendations in the Office of Fair Trading Care Homes Study with which she has agreed; [22265]

(2) for what reasons she took a different view from that expressed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection on the Office of Fair Trading's Care Homes study. [23066]

Mr. Byrne: The Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) report on care homes for older people in the United Kingdom made a number of specific recommendations for central government, the devolved administrations, the regulators, including the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), local councils and care homes. The Government's action plan published on 17 August covers all the recommendations that the OFT directed at central government in England. As the independent inspectorate for all social care services in England, the CSCI responded separately to the OFT report and addressed the specific recommendations directed at them.

The Government's action plan included the timetable for the intended actions. The plan stated that some issues would be considered in the context of next steps on Independence, Well-being and Choice", which will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper planned to be published at the turn of the year. The Government also committed to consider through the review of the national minimum standards (NMS) and associated regulations the most effective way to address other issues. It intends to issue revised NMS and regulations for consultation in spring 2006, with the intention of implementing changes from April 2007.

Childhood Obesity

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what target date has been set for halting the rise in obesity among children under 11 years; how the target to reduce emergency bed days by 5 per cent. by 2008 will be measured; how the target to offer a personalised care plan for vulnerable adults most at risk is to be measured; and whether the targets to (a) increase life expectancy, (b) reduce mortality rates from heart disease, stroke and related diseases, (c) reduce the inequalities gap in mortality rates from heart disease and (d) reduce mortality rates from cancer by 2010 will be based on average data from 2009 to 2011 [26541]

 
21 Nov 2005 : Column 1708W
 

Caroline Flint: The Department's public service agreement (PSA) targets and associated technical notes were agreed with Her Majesty's Treasury as part of 2004 spending review and are published on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/69/19/04086919.pdf. PSA technical notes contain the measurement details of the targets including target dates, data sources, coverage and references to further relevant technical information.

Continuing Care

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average time taken was to complete a successful claim for the reimbursement of wrongly charged continuing care in the last year for which figures are available; [24490]

(2) what is the timetable for reviewing claims for reimbursement for individuals who have been wrongly charged for continuing care; [24529]

(3) how many primary health trusts in England have launched advertising campaigns on the reimbursement of erroneous charges for continuing care. [24530]

Mr. Byrne: Information relating to the average time taken to complete a successful reimbursement claim for national health service continuing care is not collected centrally.

In England, strategic health authorities are seeking to complete all new cases coming to light within two months of the receipt of all the relevant documents.

The Department will not set any further deadlines for completing investigations because there are still a number of new cases coming to light it would be inappropriate to imply that there is a cut off date.

Information relating to the number of primary care trusts in England who have launched advertising campaigns on the review process for reimbursement of continuing care charges is not held centrally.

---