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Organ Donation
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking (a) to encourage organ donation and (b) to raise the profile of the online organ donation register. [42026]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Nearly 13 million people have registered on the organ donor register (ODR), 22 per cent. of the United Kingdom population. The Department gives around £1 million yearly to the NHS blood and transport (NHSBT) to run the ODR and to
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promote transplantation and also provides section 64 grants to a number of charities. Specific initiatives include funding through NHSBT to support hospital based initiatives. I recently wrote to all Members of Parliament to ask them to help raise awareness within their constituencies, and the Prime Minister also hosted a reception to celebrate the success of transplantation. Online registration initiatives include Oran-ise, an online game to encourage students to register, and nearly 50 web-based campaigns run by national health service organisations, further education establishments and professional organisations.
Poultry Inspections
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Meat Hygiene Services is taking to ensure that from 1 January its official veterinary surgeons assume line management supervision of poultry inspection assistants as required under the EU Hygiene Package. [44984]
Caroline Flint: There has been no change in the supervision requirements of plant inspection assistants, now food business operator establishment staff, following the implementation of the European Union hygiene regulations.
Official Veterinarians remain responsible for the technical supervision of these staff.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what test poultry inspection assistants in post before 1 January were required to pass before they were permitted to inspect poultry meat. [44991]
Caroline Flint: There was no legislative requirement to carry out a specific test prior to authorisation, however, an ongoing assessment was carried during the training period.
After receiving the required training for plant inspections assistants as set out in Regulation 11 of the Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995, revoked 31 December 2005, and in the light of the guidance given in the Meat Hygiene Service operations
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manual, the Official Veterinary Surgeon assessed the competency, both theoretical and practical, of the plant inspection assistants.
Once the Official Veterinary Surgeon was satisfied that a candidate was competent, s/he would certify an application for authorisation.
Private Finance Initiative Schemes
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what sign offs are required before a guarantee can be provided by her Department for private finance initiative schemes for NHS foundation trusts; [43742]
(2) how much has been guaranteed by her Department for the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust private finance initiative scheme; [43743]
(3) what the current status is of the proposed University Hospital Birmingham private finance initiative rebuild; and if she will make a statement. [43744]
Mr. Byrne: The trust's full business case (FBC) has been submitted to the Department for approval; the trust is currently clarifying a number of points which have been raised by the Department. Subject to approval by the Department, the FBC will be forwarded to HM Treasury for approval by officials and Ministers.
In common with other foundation trust private finance initiative (PFI) schemes with a capital value in excess of £10 million, the Secretary of State for Health, the PFI consortium and its funders will sign a deed of safeguard prior to financial close. The effect of the deed of safeguard is to make the Secretary of State liable should the trust be unable to meet its payments to the operator of the PFI scheme.
Radiographers
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many radiographers were employed in Southport and Orsmkirk in each year since 1997; and whether there are any vacancies at present. [45030]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the tables.
'—' = zero
n/a = not applicable
(21) Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust was formed by the merger of Southport and Formby NHS Trust and West Lancashire NHS Trust in 1999.
Source:
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census
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Notes:
Three month vacancy:
1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2004.
2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (full-time equivalents).
3. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
4. Three month vacancy rates are calculated using staff in post from the Non-Medical Workforce Census September 2004.
5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place
Staff in post:
1. Staff in post data are from the Non-Medical Workforce Census September 2004.
General:
1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.
3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
Source:
1. NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Vacancies Survey 2005.
2. NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census 2004.
Residential Drug Rehabilitation Places
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential drug rehabilitation places were available in England in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [44125]
Caroline Flint: We do not have an annual record of residential rehabilitation places for the last five years.
The National Treatment Agency (NTA) launched a residential directory on 8 August 2003, and an online bed vacancy directory BEDVACS started on 23 April 2004. There is no record of any information until 1 February 2005. On 1 February 2005, there were 118 English residential rehabilitation units with a total of 2,498 beds. Currently the directory lists 119 English residential rehabilitation units with a total of 2,530 beds.
Reverse Therapy
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has (a) commissioned, (b) funded and (c) evaluated into reverse therapy in relation to (i) myalgic encephalomyelitis and (ii) Gulf War illnesses; and if she will make a statement. [46256]
Mr. Byrne: The Department has not commissioned, funded or evaluated research into the use of reverse therapy in the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis or Gulf War syndrome.
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