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9 Mar 2006 : Column 1770W—continued
Obesity
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition of obesity her Department uses. [52701]
Caroline Flint: The body mass index (BMI) is the common method used when evaluating individual people to see if they are under or overweight. This involves comparing their weight to their height by dividing the weight measurement (expressed in kilograms) by the square of the height (expressed in meters).
For adults, the following BMI definitions are used to identify obesity in adults:
| BMI | Definition |
|---|---|
| 18.5 or less | underweight |
| Over 18.5 to 25 | desirable weight |
| Over 25 to 30 | overweight |
| Over 30 to 40 | obese |
| Over 40 | morbidly obese |
With regard to children, clinicians tend to use the 91st and 98th centile when dealing with individual children but for the purposes of population monitoring, children are defined as overweight and obese if their BMI falls above the 85th and 95th centile, respectively, of the reference curve for their age and gender.
A report by the World Health Organisation suggests that increased risk is present when the waist measurement exceeds 94 centimetres (37 inches) for men or 80 centimetres (32 inches) for women.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the findings from research commissioned by her Department on the extent to which morbid obesity runs in families. [52704]
Caroline Flint: No research has been commissioned by the Department on the extent to which morbid obesity runs in families.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her most recent estimate is of the number and percentage of children estimated to be obese. [52627]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 16 February 2006]: The main source of data on the prevalence of obesity among children is the Health Survey for England (HSE). The HSE supplies an estimate of the prevalence of obesity among children aged two to 10 rather than the actual number of children who are obese. In 2003, the prevalence of obesity among children aged two to 10 years, in England was 13.7 per cent.
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were obese in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [56149]
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Caroline Flint: The main source of data on the prevalence of obesity among children is the Health Survey for England (HSE). The HSE supplies an estimate of the prevalence of obesity for 1997 to 2003 among children aged between two to 15 rather than to specify the actual number of children who are obese.
The results in the table show obesity prevalence for children by sex, aged two to 10, 11–15 and two to 15. The 2003 data which are presented are the most recent available.
Notes:
Prevalence based on the UK National BMI percentile classification. Bases have been weighted for non- selection.
Source:
Health Survey for England. Department of Health
Over the Counter Medicines
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the better regulation of over the counter medicines initiative to make its recommendations; if she will release minutes of the initiative's consultations with industry and other stakeholders; and if she will make a statement. [56892]
Jane Kennedy: I have asked that the better regulation of over the counter (OTC) medicines initiative delivers its first proposals to simplify regulatory burdens for OTC medicines in April 2006.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will publish a full report including its consultations with industry and other stakeholders at that time.
Pandemic Influenza
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Education and Skills on contingency planning for an outbreak of pandemic influenza. [54333]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Officials from the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) attend the cross-government working group on pandemic influenza. A Minister from DFES also attends the Cabinet committee
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on pandemic influenza (MISC 32). The purpose of these meetings is for Government departments to coordinate contingency planning for a future pandemic.
Departmental officials also regularly discuss preparedness with colleagues from DFES in order to support DFES in developing appropriate plans in their sector for a future pandemic.
Parliamentary Questions
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to answer Question 32012, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 22 November 2005 on children's teeth. [53605]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A reply was given to the hon. Member on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 426W.
Personality Disorder Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what commissioning arrangements will pertain for specialist personality disorder services (a) at the Henderson hospital in Sutton and (b) in England (i) in 2006–07 and (ii) over the next five years, [54793]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A severe personality disorder service which is based on the therapeutic community model, has been nationally commissioned from the Henderson hospital under the auspices of the national specialist commissioning advisory group since 1998 with a further two units in Crewe and Birmingham opening in 2000.
Specialised services commissioners in the national health service, who will take over responsibility for the commissioning of these services from 1 April 2006, have informed the three host trusts of their intention to commission on a steady state basis for 2006–07 with devolved funding committed to the service. This allows a transitional period during which longer-term commissioning intentions can be agreed.
Across the country regional capacity plans have now been completed outlining strategies for the future development of local personality disorder services. Specialised services commissioners will review their plans for the future commissioning of the severe personality disorder services referred to above in the light of these plans.
Practice-based Contracting
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that effective (a) training, (b) support and (c) guidance is provided to all general practitioners to enable them to use practice based contracting to maximum benefit for patients; and what assessment she has made of the level of resources necessary to achieve such provision. [49629]
Mr. Byrne:
To maximise the benefits of practice based commissioning (PBC), the Department has resourced and put in place a comprehensive programme providing training, support, and guidance material for general practitioners (GPs) and primary care trusts (PCTs).
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As part of this programme, the national primary care development team will be providing training and support to PCTs and GP practices. In addition, a number of other professional bodies will be supporting their members with PBC these include: the National Association of Primary Care, NHS Alliance, General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association, NHS Confederation, and the Royal College of Nurses. Further details of the support programme are available in Annexes A and B of the publication Practice based commissioning: achieving universal coverage", which is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/74/25/04127425.pdf.
The Department has also published guidance specifically for clinicians. This includes the document Practice based commissioning: early wins and top tips" published in February 2006, which contains tips to support PBC and suggestions as to how it can be used to redesign care pathways. This publication is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/82/74/04128274.pdf and it has been issued directly to all GPs.
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