| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
11 Jan 2006 : Column 736W—continued
Radiographers/Speech Therapists
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many training commissions there were for (a) radiographers and (b) speech and language therapists in each strategic health authority in each year since 2002. [34713]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
11 Jan 2006 : Column 737W
Senior NHS Management
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many displaced chief executive officers and other senior NHS employees without permanent roles are working in each strategic health authority area. [37319]
Mr. Byrne: The requested information is not collected centrally.
Smoking
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on tackling smoking in pregnancy. [34427]
Caroline Flint: We regularly receive representations on tackling smoking in pregnancy. We have recently received five parliamentary questions on smoking in pregnancy, four from the hon. Member and one from a Peer.
We have made good progress on this issue since the publication of the White Paper Smoking Kills' in 1998, where we set a target to reduce the percentage of women who smoke during pregnancy from 23 percent., to 15 percent., by the year 2010; with a fall to 18 percent., by the year 2005.
Information on smoking in pregnancy is obtained from the report on infant feeding which is carried out every five years; the most recent survey was in 2000, this shows the proportion of women, in England, who smoke during pregnancy has fallen to 19 percent.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money has been spent on smoking cessation schemes for pregnant women in each of the last 10 years. [34429]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protection the smoking legislation in the Health Bill will give to (a) domestic servants and (b) au pairs in their places of work. [34584]
Caroline Flint: The smoke-free provisions of the Health Bill will cover 99 percent., of enclosed public places and workplaces.
The Government have proposed to exempt residential accommodation to give effect to the right to respect for the home and private life in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
11 Jan 2006 : Column 738W
However, nothing in the Health Bill undermines the Health and Safety obligations which employers already have.
Social Services
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many younger adult clients were seen by social services in Milton Keynes in each of the last five years. [35268]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The available information is for adults aged 18 to 64.
In 2003–04, 120 new clients were assessed and 520 existing clients were reviewed by Milton Keynes council with social service responsibilities. Data for earlier years are not available on a comparable basis.
Sustainable Procurement
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reassess sustainable procurement practices in the NHS, with particular reference to reusable nappy use on maternity wards. [39503]
Jane Kennedy: The Department has a strong commitment to the principles of sustainable development, and this is reflected in the new United Kingdom strategy for sustainable development.
Through this policy, the Department and its agencies are committed to considering the environmental, social and economic impacts of its procurement. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) works with the Department and other Government Departments to increase awareness of sustainable development within the national health service supply chain, and to ensure that wherever possible NHS PASA support the achievement of sustainable development objectives, and support the improvement of the nation's health and well being.
The use of disposable or re-usable nappies in the national health service is a matter for individual maternity units and trusts to determine locally.
Vitamin D
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to review vitamin D supplements for pregnant and nursing mothers. [37131]
11 Jan 2006 : Column 739W
Caroline Flint: The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition particularly recommend dietary vitamin D supplements for all pregnant and nursing mothers of 10 micrograms per day.
As part of the reform of the Welfare Food Scheme the Department is considering options for the manufacture and supply of bespoke vitamin supplements, which include vitamin D.
Supplements developed as part of the Welfare Food Scheme reforms may also be considered for wider use among pregnant and nursing mothers.
11 Jan 2006 : Column 740W
Zoonotic Disease Risk
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has assessed the zoonotic disease risk in the UK posed by the intensification of meat and dairy production in other countries. [40530]
Caroline Flint: The risk of zoonotic disease in the United Kingdom is affected by many factors, of which farming practices are only one. In the case of zoonotic disease a cross-departmental working group monitors human and animal surveillance and assesses the risk associated with new and emerging pathogens. Outputs from this group are reported to the national expert panel for new and emerging infections.