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Physiotherapists

Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many new vacancies have been created for physiotherapists in the last 12 months; and how many of these vacancies were for newly-qualified physiotherapists; [55039]

(2) how many trainee physiotherapists are expected to qualify in 2006. [55040]

Mr. Byrne: Information relating to the number of new vacancies is not collected centrally.

In 2003–04, 2,343 national health service physiotherapy training places were commissioned and students who successfully complete the programme will graduate in 2006.

Primary Care Trusts (Expenditure)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure per (a) weighted and (b) unweighted head was in each primary care trust in 2004–05; and what estimate she has made of the expenditure for (i) 2005–06, (ii) 2006–07 and (iii) 2007–08. [43530]

Mr. Byrne: 2004–05 expenditure per head (by weighted and unweighted population) by primary care trusts in England has been placed in the Library. Forecast spend per head is not available.
 
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Prisoners (Mental Health)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the treatment which is offered to prisoners with mental health problems. [47042]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Prisoners receive an assessment on their first reception into prison which helps to identify those at risk of having a significant mental health problem. For those so identified, or who present later with mental health needs, follow up will include primary mental health care, and where necessary, assessment and intervention by specialist prison mental health in-reach teams. 102 prisons currently have mental health in-reach provision and it is expected that all prisons will have access to such services this spring. Just under £20 million of national health service investment is available for prison mental health in-reach provision in 2005–06, and 360 mental health in-reach staff are now in post.

Where prisoners are assessed as too ill to remain in prison, steps are taken to transfer to them to a hospital appropriate for their mental health needs and security category. The care programme approach aims to help ensure continuity of mental health care on release from prison.

Public Health

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has commissioned on the impact on people's health of (a) obesity and (b) the availability of NHS dentists; and if she will make a statement. [55842]

Ms Rosie Winterton: There has been no research commissioned by the Department on the impact on people's health of obesity and the availability of national health service dentists. However, the Department recognises the effect of obesity on disease conditions, as shown in the summary research evidence reported by the National Audit Office, the World Health Organisation, the Health Select Committee and the 2003 Health Survey for England.

Also from April 2006, the NHS will be implementing major reforms to NHS dentistry. New contracts for dentists will abolish the fee per item remuneration system and support new ways of working. Evidence from personal dental services pilot schemes is that this will free up capacity that dentists can use to see a greater range of patients and provide more preventative care. The reforms are designed to support primary care trusts and dentists in improving access to NHS dentistry for all groups of patients.

Queen's Birthday

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to celebrate Her Majesty's 80th birthday; what advice she has issued to her Department's executive agencies on celebrations for the birthday; and if she will make a statement. [54191]

Mr. Byrne: The Department will fly the Union Flag on 21 April in honour of Her Majesty's 80th birthday. No instructions have been issued to executive agencies on how they might wish to mark the Queen's birthday.
 
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Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will extend the time available to Royal Shrewsbury hospital to repay its existing debt. [55851]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Responsibility for the management of the repayment of planned financial support, and of the time scales for its repayment, rests with Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority.

Sexual Health

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of chlamydia levels in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Strategic Health Authority in the latest period for which an estimate is available. [54271]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on the number of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection, are published in "Mapping the Issues: HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United Kingdom: 2005". The report is available from Health Protection Agency's website at: www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/publications/hiv_sti_2005/pdf/MtI_FC_report.pdf.

Tooth Decay

Mr. Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of children in (a) the area covered by North Kirklees Primary Care Trust and (b) each primary care trust in England suffered from tooth decay in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [43177]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry conduct regular surveys of child dental health, the results of which are available on their website at www.bascd.org/annual_survey_results.php.

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates she has made of the number of (a) children and (b) adults with tooth decay in (i) Kingston and Surbiton, (ii) South West London and (iii) London in the latest period for which figures are available. [55841]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Training (Nurses/Doctors)

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of training (a) a nurse and (b) a doctor was in 2004–05. [54511]

Mr. Byrne: The latest year for which figures are available show that in 2004–05 the national average cost of tuition to train a nurse over the three years of their course was £19,740. Diploma students would also be entitled to a non-means tested bursary, which in 2003–04 averaged £6,547 per annum.

In the period between entry to medical school and full registration, it is estimated that training a doctor costs between £200,000 and £250,000. Doctors generally continue training after full registration. As the duration and nature of post-registration training varies greatly
 
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and as service and training costs are closely related it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the total cost of training.

Welsh Patients (Funding)

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make representations to the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales Government on ensuring that funding for Welsh patients using English hospitals matches the per head funding for English patients. [41560]

Mr. Byrne: Decisions about the allocation of funding on health services in Wales are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government and the national health service in Wales. The Department and the Welsh Assembly Government have agreed that the funding of Welsh patients using English hospitals is agreed by local negotiation between the Welsh Local Health Board (or the Health Commission Wales) and the English NHS Trust. The Department and the Welsh Assembly Government expect that both parties will work together to agree a level of funding that reflects the costs and volumes of referrals.

Working with Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) local authorities, (b) social service departments and (c) children's services departments can employ an individual to work in the health sector if that person is on her Department's list of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with children. [44480]

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.

Section 7(1) of the Protection of Children Act 1999 requires an organisation which concerned with the provision of accommodation, social services or health care services to children or the supervision of children; and whose activities are regulated, to check both the PoCA List and List 99 in every instance where they propose to offer an individual a child care position. (For the definition of a child care position, the Protection of Children Act 1999 refers to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 which provides a comprehensive definition of what is known as a 'regulated' position for the purposes of that Act.)

If a local authority, social service department or children's services department offering employment in the health sector are aware that the person is included on the PoCA List (whether or not provisionally), or on List 99 on grounds that they are unsuitable to work with children, they may not offer the individual employment in a child care position.

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