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Health Protection Agency

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Department will make a statement on (a) the evidence given by and (b) recommendations made by representatives of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. [32286]

Caroline Flint: The Department will be contributing to the Government response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's report on Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders" which is being coordinated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Officials in the Department have been discussing with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) issues of common interest with respect to the report.

The Government response may contain direct reference to statements made by the HPA. The Government are committed to respond to the report within a year of publication.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the survey that the Health Protection Agency carried out on laboratories, referred to in its oral evidence given to the Royal Commission on Environmental Protection; and whether the survey will be published. [32300]

Caroline Flint: The Department will be contributing to the Government response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's report on Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders", which is being coordinated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Officials in the Department have been discussing with the Health Protection Agency issues of common interest with respect to the report.

The Government response may contain direct reference to statements made by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The Government are committed to respond to the report within a year of publication. The Department cannot comment on whether the HPA's survey will be published.

Community Pharmacies (Uxbridge)

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow many community pharmacies in Uxbridge constituency have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997. [29769]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of community pharmacies by constituency is not centrally collected. However, information prior to 2002 is available by health authority (HA), and from 2002, by primary care trust (PCT).

The Uxbridge constituency is currently served by Hillingdon PCT. It previously sat within Hillingdon HA.

Table one shows the number of community pharmacies by HA prior to 2002.
 
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Table 1: By health authority 1997 to 2002

	Total number of pharmacies in Hillingdon HA	Opened	Closed
1997–98	63	0	0
1998–99	62	0	1
1999–2000	62	0	0
2000–01	62	0	0
2001–02	62	0	0

Table two shows the number of community pharmacies by PCI from 2002 onwards.
Table 2: By primary care trust 2002–04

	Total number of pharmacies in Hillingdon PCT	Opened	Closed
2002–03	62	0	0
2003–04	62	0	0

Notes:
Data on pharmacy numbers:
From October 2002, PCTs took over responsibility for community pharmacies from health authorities. Therefore, data on the number of pharmacies in England with NHS contracts is broken down to health authority level until 2001–02, and PCT level from 2002–03 level onwards. The change from HAs to PCTs may have resulted in some boundary changes that is reflected in the data.
Information on the number of community pharmacies is collected from PCTs via the annual PHS1 data collection. The latest data available on General Pharmaceutical Services (1993–94 to 2003–04) was published in January 2005 on the website www.publication.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0505.htm.
Data for 2004–05 is not yet available.

Influenza

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the take-up of the pneumococcal vaccine has been in (a) all those aged over 80 years and (b) all those aged over 65 years since 1997–98; and if she will make a statement. [28708]

Caroline Flint: As of 31 March 2005, around 81.0per cent. of people aged 80 years and over had been vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccine. As of the 31 March 2005, around 48.1 percent., of people aged 65 years and over had been vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccine. It should be noted that up until this date only those 75 years and over had been offered the vaccine routinely.

The policy to vaccinate those aged 65 years and over was introduced on 1 April 2005. Data on the number of people aged 65 years and over who were vaccinated from 1 April 2005 to 1 April 2006 will be collected from autumn 2006.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the stocks of influenza vaccine in the NHS. [28992]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 15 November 2005]: There are 14 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine available this year, more than previous years, and enough to vaccinate all over 65s and those in at risk groups specified in the chief medical officer's letter of 25 July. We are aware that demand for the vaccine is higher than many surgeries were expecting at this stage in the vaccination campaign and are providing
 
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additional vaccine general practitioners from our contingency stock. In addition to this, we have obtained a further 800,000 doses which will be delivered in January.

Mixed Sex Wards

Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 224W, on mixed sex wards, what criteria were used in setting the target at 95 percent. of trusts. [18563]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The target to eliminate mixed sex accommodation in 95 percent., of national health service trusts was established following a review of health authorities' target dates for meeting three objectives to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation.

The outcomes of this review were published in 1998 by my Noble Friend, Baroness Jay, and indicated that 95 per cent. of health authorities' forecast that they would achieve compliance by December 2002. This was adopted as the target for the NHS.

Northian and Broad Oak Surgeries

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the development of Northian and Broad Oak surgeries; and if she will make a statement. [32142]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 28 November 2005]: Since June 2005, the Department has received seven letters and a parcel of 1,500 plus campaign letters.

The campaign letters have been forwarded to Bexhill and Rother primary care trust (PCT) which commissions services from the surgeries. This is because the modernisation of primary health care premises is determined locally by consultation between PCTs and general practitioner practices in conjunction with their strategic health authorities (SHAs).

Nationally, the Government are committed to improving the infrastructure of primary care by modernising service delivery, access and choice in the national health service. Increased funding has been made available to PCTs to implement these service improvements.

However, PCTs have to prioritise the planning, development and improvement of services to meet the needs of local people. With their specialised knowledge of the local community, they are effectively able to manage and improve local services.

Surrey and Sussex SHA advise that Bexhill and Rother PCT is working with partners at the surgeries to support their expansion plans within the funding that the PCT can make available.

Nutrition and Health Claims Directive

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the process will be for submitting claims to the Community Register under the proposed EU nutrition and health claims made on foods proposal;
 
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when her Department will begin the consultation process on the proposal; and if she will make a statement. [31947]

Caroline Flint: Under the proposed regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods, member states must submit to the European Commission a list of certain health claims, notably those related to functions of the body, by one year after the regulation has been adopted. The proposal is not expected to be adopted until the second half of next year. The Food Standards Agency has been exploring possible bases for compiling the list with various interested parties and will consider how best to involve stakeholders further.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with other EU member states about the process for submitting claims to the Community Register under the proposed EU regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods; what the outcome of these discussions was; and if she will make a statement. [31948]

Caroline Flint: The proposed regulation is still under negotiation and not expected to be adopted until the second half of next year. Member states' lists will not have to be submitted to the Commission for a further year. No formal discussions have been held with other member states although informal soundings of some countries have shown they are starting to explore the issues involved in drawing up and submitting their lists.

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Department has conducted cost impact assessments in relation to the proposed EU directive on nutrition and health claims. [30228]

Caroline Flint: An initial regulatory impact assessment (RIA) was placed in the Library with the explanatory memorandum for this proposed European Union regulation in August 2003. It has since been revised by the Food Standards Agency to reflect progress in the negotiations on the proposed measure and information received from stakeholders. The partial RIA was copied to the Chairs of the European Scrutiny Committees of both Houses in April 2005.

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