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23 Nov 2005 : Column 2106W—continued
Departmental Estate
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant the answer of 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 760W, on Departmental Land Property, if she will list all properties in London that her Department is renting that are empty; when they were last in use; and what was the amount spent in rent of these properties in the last year for which figures are available. [28736]
Jane Kennedy: The following former Community Health Council premises vacated in December 2003 are currently vacant and for these the Department is currently paying rent. Having established that there was no national health service interest they have been actively marketed.
22–24 High Road, Willesden-annual rent £29,375. A notice to break the lease from June 2006 has been served.
128 The Grove, Stratford-annual rent £24,000. An assignment of the lease to a third party is imminent.
Departmental IT Projects
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each IT project her Department
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has undertaken since May 1997 which has incurred a total expenditure of £5 million or more, (a) the name of the project, (b) its intended purpose, (c) the principal contractors involved and the payments made to each, (d) the original estimate of the cost of the project, (e) the actual outturn of expenditure on the project, (f) the intended date on which the project was to be fully implemented, (g) the actual date on which it was fully implemented or cancelled, (h) modifications which have been made to the project since it was first commissioned, (i) contractors on the project whose contracts have been cancelled, (j) replacement or additional contractors on the project, (k) the most reliable estimate of public expenditure saved as a result of implementing the project and (l) the most reliable estimates of improved performance of departmental functions as a result of implementing the project. [20624]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Departmental Secondment
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officers seconded from accountancy houses are working in her Department; and how many of her officials have worked on secondment to outside accountancy houses. [20737]
Jane Kennedy: The Department's human resource (HR) system does not currently show where a person has been seconded to or from. The total number of staff on secondment or loan out of the Department on 31 October 2005 was 184 full- time equivalents (FTE). The number of staff on secondment or loan into the Department and recorded on the HR system on 31 October 2005 was 50 FTE. However we are in the process of improving the data coverage of our HR system and are working to include fuller information on all non-permanent departmental staff. The figure of 50 may therefore rise once the data has been improved.
Diabetes
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a choice of insulins is made available to (a) patients and (b) to next-of-kin in cases where the patient is unable to express a preference. [28674]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The choice of insulin is made as a result of a joint decision making process between the patient, their clinician or, when appropriate, their next-of-kin or carer.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether animal insulins are generally available to treat hospital patients according to their preference. [28675]
Jane Kennedy: Animal insulins are generally available in the United Kingdom to treat patients in hospitals, as well as those in the community. It is up to the clinician, in consultation with the patient, to decide which treatment is most suitable.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Department plans to arrange for pre-clinical trials of insulin analogues. [28678]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
We have no plans to undertake pre-clinical trials of insulin analogues at this time.
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Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to ensure that people with insulin-requiring diabetes can make informed choices about alternative treatments following the discontinuation of some synthetic human insulin products. [28680]
Ms Rosie Winterton: When a product is discontinued the choice of an alternative insulin is made as a result of a joint decision making process between the patient and their clinician. The choice of an alternative insulin should be based on a sound clinical decision based on the needs of each individual patient.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will reconsider the referral of insulin treatments and their cost-effectiveness to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence with a view to developing standard guidance. [28681]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The choice of insulin is made as a result of a joint decision making process between the patient and their clinician. Any decision should be made on a sound clinical decision based on the needs of each patient. I see no reason to refer insulin treatments to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence at this time.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will incorporate the conclusions reached in the recent World Diabetes Federation position statement into her Department's guidance on insulins. [28684]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The choice of insulin is made as a result of a joint decision making process between the patient and their clinician. The World Diabetes Federation position statement is one of a number of balanced reflections on the use of insulin, which I am sure clinicians and patients will consider along with other views as part of their decision making process.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidance to the appropriate agencies that diabetes patients should have access to all animal, GM synthetic human and analogue insulin. [28724]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are a number of different insulin regimes available and the choice of insulin is made as a result of a joint decision making process between the patient and their clinician.
East Midlands Ambulance Service
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with East Midlands Ambulance Service on (a) its investigation into the delayed response to a 999 call by a constituent, Mr. Derek Latham, and (b) when it plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of April and August on this matter. [27876]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has no record of outstanding correspondence relating to this issue.
The East Midlands Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust is in the process of responding to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw on the issues relating to its delayed response to Mr. Derek Latham.
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Eye Health Services
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many eye hospitals designated as preferred providers have fully implemented a fast track referral pathway for patients with early wet age-related macular degeneration; and what her estimate is of the average waiting time for treatment following initial contact with an eye care professional. [28215]
Ms Rosie Winterton: [holding answer 14 November 2005]: National health service specialised services commissioners are responsible for commissioning photodynamic therapy for age related macular degeneration. Guidance to commissioners has stressed the importance of ensuring the development of fast track systems to ensure that the time between the initial referral and the treatment is as short as possible.
Data on average waiting times for treatment following initial contact with an eye care professional are not centrally collected. Information is, however, available on waiting times for hospital admissions for those with a primary diagnosis of degeneration of the macular and posterior pole. In 2003–04, the average time between a decision to admit and the date of admission was 41 days.
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