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7 Feb 2006 : Column 1177W—continued
GP Practices (Uxbridge)
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices there are in the Uxbridge constituency; and what the average number is of patients registered with a practice in Uxbridge. [46596]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not hold this information in the format requested. However, figures for the average number of registered patients per general practitioner practice for Hillingdon primary care trust as at September 2004 is shown in the table.
Source:
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
Late Payments
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2006, Official Report, column 1671W, on late payments, if she will make an assessment of the effect of late payments on small and medium sized firms; what guidance she has given to NHS professionals regarding this; and if she will make a statement. [46369]
Mr. Byrne: NHS professionals are required to comply with the Confederation of British Industry's Better Payment Practice Code (BPPC) target of paying 95 per cent. of undisputed invoices within contract terms or 30 days where no terms have been agreed.
In 2004–05, NHS professionals exceeded this target, paying 97 per cent. of its bills on time. We have made no assessment of the effect of late payments on small and medium sized firms.
Meat (Labelling)
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether meat that is reared abroad but processed in the UK may be labelled British. [47600]
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether meat that is reared abroad but processed in the UK may be labelled British. [47608]
Caroline Flint:
The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 defines country of origin as the country in which a food last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change. Therefore, products made from
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meat that has been processed in the United Kingdom can be labelled as British. However, the Food Standards Agency has issued best practise guidance which recommends that where a product is declared to be British, but the meat originates outside of Britain, this should be made clear on the label.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent estimate she has made of the number of people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis in England; and how this estimate is made; [46618]
(2) what definition her Department uses of myalgic encephalomyelitis; [46619]
(3) what funding has been allocated by the Government for research into myalgic encephalomyelitis in the last 10 years. [46620]
Mr. Byrne: The Department does not collect the information requested on the number of people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis in England. The report of the independent Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) Working Group, published in January 2002, estimated, on the basis of results from a number of small-scale studies, a population prevalence of around 0.2 per cent. to 0.4 per cent. in adults and around 0.07 per cent. in children.
CFS/ME is the accepted umbrella term for patients experiencing a combination of variable and overlapping symptoms. While there is no universal definition of CFS/ME, the widely used ones all require significant fatigue and a set of attendant symptoms for at least six months.
On funding for research into myalgic encephalomyelitis, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 501–02W.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings officials from her Department have had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to discuss Herceptin. [45359]
Jane Kennedy: Departmental officials have had no specific meetings with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to discuss the drug Herceptin.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings her Department has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to discuss the appraisal of drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease in the last year. [45360]
Jane Kennedy:
Departmental officials have had no specific meetings with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to discuss drugs for Alzheimer's disease. The progress of this appraisal has been discussed on a number of occasions within the context of NICE'S wider work programme and as part of regular communications between the Department and NICE.
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Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings (a) she and (b) her Ministers have had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last 12 months to discuss approval of Herceptin. [45361]
Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State and departmental Ministers have had no specific meetings with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to discuss the drug, Herceptin.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings Ministers in her Department have had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last 12 months to discuss the prescribing of drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. [45362]
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Jane Kennedy: Ministers have had no specific meetings with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to discuss drugs for Alzheimer's disease in the last 12 months.
NHS Confederation
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been provided to the NHS Confederation from (a) her Department's budget and (b) the NHS budget in each financial year since 1997–98. [31011]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested for years 2001–02 is shown in the table. Information before 2001–02 could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. The increased amount paid in 2003–04 and 2004–05 reflect the transfer of activities from the Department of Health.
NHS Finance
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2006, Official Report, column 732W, on NHS finance, what expert advice was provided to NHS trusts forecasting a deficit prior to her written statement of 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 37WS, on NHS finance, that turnaround teams were being established. [44931]
Mr. Byrne: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for delivering overall financial balance for their local health communities, and for ensuring that each and every body achieves financial balance. It is for SHAs to determine how best to support their local organisations to achieve this objective. This includes the provision of expert advice. Details on how SHAs have managed their local organisations is not held centrally.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2006, Official Report, column 732W, on NHS finance, with which companies her Department has contracted to provide turnaround support. [45481]
Mr. Byrne: The turnaround teams were announced by the Secretary of State in a written ministerial statement on 1 December 2005. The teams will comprise of experts with a mix of commercial and national health service turnaround skills.
The first stage of this is a baseline assessment, the aim of which is to ensure there is an agreed understanding of the local financial problem and that actions are in hand to address this.
The contract for the baseline assessment was awarded to consultants KPMG. The consultants Ernst and Young were subcontracted by KPMG to undertake a small number of assessments to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
After the baseline assessments are complete a tailored package of turnaround support will be agreed by the local NHS.
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