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30 Mar 2006 : Column 1168W—continued
Protection of Children Act
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what interaction takes place between (a) the Protection of Children Act List, (b) List 99 and (c) the Register of Sex Offenders. [44932]
Ruth Kelly: My report and accompanying statement of 19 January sets out measures to strengthen arrangements where there is interaction between the Protection of Children Act List, List 99 and the Register of Sex Offenders. We also brought forward legislation on 1 March which sets out how we will further improve arrangements through the introduction of a new vetting and barring scheme.
HEALTH
Ambulance Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) fully equipped ambulances and (b) ambulance personnel there were in Lancashire in each year since 2004. [62418]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the number of ambulances is not held centrally. The number of national health service ambulance trust staff in Lancashire in 2004 was 924. Data for 2005 is not yet available.
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses were received to the consultation on the proposal to merge ambulance services in the West Midlands; how many of these responses were (a) in favour and (b) against the merger; and which responses in each category were from elected councils. [62426]
Mr. Byrne: This information is not currently held centrally. Strategic health authorities have been asked to feedback to the Department details of consultation responses received.
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when it was decided to advertise for the post of directors of the proposed new West Midlands Ambulance Trust; and why the post was advertised before the consultation process on the merger of the ambulance trusts had ended. [62427]
Mr. Byrne:
Since we published the ambulance review last year, we have made it clear that the reorganisation of ambulance trusts is subject to consultation. The adverts for these posts do not pre-empt any decisions that Ministers will make following the end of the consultation process.
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Both the advert and the application pack clearly state that these appointments are dependent on ministerial decisions on ambulance trust configuration.
This is necessary contingency planning. If a decision is made to change ambulance trust configuration, we would need to be able to move quickly to establish the new organisations in order to minimise uncertainty for staff and for business continuity. This includes having full boards as soon as possible so that decisions can be taken and staff transferred to the new organisations.
If new organisations are not established, appointments will not be made.
Arthritis
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps the Government are taking to increase arthritis awareness in the workplace; and if she will make a statement; [58550]
(2) what representations her Department has received on (a) rheumatoid arthritis and (b) osteo-arthritis in the workplace; and if she will make a statement. [58549]
Mrs. McGuire: These conditions affect many people of working age. Although rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by work, the development of osteoarthritis can be affected by work activity. With effective management and support, most people with osteoarthritis are able to stay in or return to work.
Osteoarthritis is recognised in the Health and Safety Commission and Executive HSC/E guidance booklet Upper limb disorders in the workplace as one of about 15 kinds of medically diagnosable upper limb disorders. It also affects other parts of the body such as hips and lower limbs. Following HSC/E's recognised ergonomic approach, as set out in the guidance, employers can design jobs and tasks which control the exposure of the workforce to risk factors.
HSC/E has not had specific representations on rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. However, we have worked closely with ARMA, the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, who have recently published Standards of Care for people with Inflammatory Arthritis, with Osteoarthritis and with Back Pain. HSC/E endorses the advice contained in this guidance.
Cancer
John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the national bowel screening programme in primary care trusts in the county of Durham; and if she will make a statement. [61135]
Mr. Byrne: NHS cancer screening programmes are currently assessing strategic health authority bids for their local endoscopy units to become local screening centres when the programme begins. Announcements will be made in due course.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the global trends in the incidence of cancer since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [62179]
John Healey:
I have been asked to reply.
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The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Jill Matheson, dated 30 March 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the global trends in incidence of cancer since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (62179)
Estimates of incidence rates of cancer across the world are published by the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) on their website http://www-dep.iarc.fr/.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the predicted incidence of cancer in 2020 relative to current levels (a) in the UK and (b) internationally; and if she will make a statement. [62180]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Jill Matheson, dated 30 March 2006:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the predicted incidence of cancer in 2020 relative to current levels (a) in the UK and (b) internationally. I am replying in her absence. (62180)
A project team has been set up with the intention of producing long-term cancer projections up to 2020 for the major cancer sites for England. This is one of several projects conducted by the United Kingdom Association of Cancer Registries (UKACR) Analysis Sub-group on projecting future rates and future numbers of cancer patients. A report will be produced for the Department of Health.
Projections for Scotland were published in Cancer in Scotland: Sustaining Change—Cancer Incidence Projections for Scotland (2001–2020)" in November 2004. This is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/30859/0012657.pdf
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) why the NHS colorectal screening programme will not now start on 1 April; when she expects the programme to start; and if she will make a statement; [62462]
(2) what funding she has made available for the NHS colorectal screening programme; when the funding will start; and if she will make a statement. [62463]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government have stated their commitment to a national bowel cancer screening programme, for which funding has been agreed. On 30 January 2006, the new Health White Paper Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services" reaffirmed that the programme will be rolled out from April 2006.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter dated 1 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Ms C. Formby. [62436]
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Mr. Byrne: A reply was sent on 16 February 2006.
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