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8 May 2006 : Column 67W—continued
Infant Formula
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had on the European Union Directive on infant formula and follow-on formula. [67414]
Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has represented the views of the United Kingdom during discussions within the European Commission's infant formula working group as it has policy responsibility for the directive. The FSA has regularly consulted and updated the Department about progress and Ministers have been kept informed. The draft revised directive will be submitted to the standing committee on the food chain and animal health for further discussion and a possible vote in June. If the committee adopts the draft directive, it will become European Union law and will subsequently be implemented in UK legislation.
Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that the views of local people are taken into account when she makes her decision about the new primary care trust boundaries within the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority area. [68931]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In managing the local consultation on primary care trust (PCT) reconfiguration in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, the strategic health authority (SHA)
consulted a wide range of stakeholders in the region. This included local Members of Parliament, national health service staff, NHS organisations, local clinical committees, voluntary organisations and trade unions.
The consultation included 80 stakeholder meetings, of which 16 were open to the public, and were attended by over 900 people. The SHA received 539 letters, 1,609 completed questionnaires and 10,934 petition signatures in response to the consultation.
It was made explicitly clear to all SHAs that when preparing the summary of consultation responses, all views generated as a result of the consultation had to be taken into account.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that the formal integration of adult social care into the NHS primary care trust structure in Peterborough is taken into account when deciding on the new primary care trust boundaries within the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire strategic health authority area. [68927]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In managing the local consultation on primary care trust (PCT) reconfiguration in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, the strategic health authority (SHA) consulted a wide range of stakeholders in the region including those in social care.
In making decisions about the optimum configuration of PCTs to recommend, the SHA will have considered the eight ‘Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS’ criteria which include improving coordination with social services through greater congruence of PCT and local Government boundaries.
Primary Care Trusts (Portsmouth)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other staff were employed in each primary care trust covering Portsmouth in each of the last three years; what the planned figures are for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) the next three financial years; and if she will make a statement. [67374]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
It is the responsibility of PCTs and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local NHS trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality NHS services and take action to recruit the appropriate staff required to deliver these services.
Wales
Children's Services
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many nursery and crèche places are provided for people working in his Department; what charges are made for the provision of such services; and what other facilities are provided for the children of employees of his Department. [67368]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office is a small organisation, with 54 staff based in Cardiff and London. It draws its staff from other bodies, namely the National Assembly for Wales and Department of Constitutional Affairs. While it is not practical for the Wales Office to provide its own on-site crèche or nursery places, staff can access subsidised childcare places or childcare vouchers through their employing bodies.
These schemes support parents' own choices about what child care they want for their child.
Corporate Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months. [67521]
Mr. Hain: Paragraph 5.28 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.
Equal Pay
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) women and (b) men are employed in the Department; what the average pay was for (i) women and (ii) men in the Department in (A) 1997 and (B) 2006; what women's average pay is as a percentage of men's average pay; and how many (1) women and (2) men the Department employed in each of the last five years, broken down by grade. [67783]
Mr. Hain: Staff serving in the Wales Office are either on loan from the National Assembly for Wales or employed by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Their pay is set by their employing bodies rather than by the Wales Office. Information on staff pay by gender is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Wales Office Departmental Report 2005 (CM6545) provides data on staff including staff numbers, ethnic groups, grades and gender. A copy of the report can be obtained from the Library of the House.
Home Working
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in his Department have been enabled to work from home in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [67994]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office is committed to improving work/life balance. It values diversity and accommodates different work patterns including home working.
Over the past three years a number of staff have followed a flexible working pattern, working the occasional day or half day at home, either to suit personal circumstances or to assist in the completion of a specific task. Information on the number of staff that have worked form home in the last three years is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
One member of Wales Office staff has a more formal arrangement for home working.
Occupational Pensions
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government on the number of pensioners in Wales potentially affected by the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman on occupational pensions. [68051]
Mr. Hain: Responsibility for occupational pensions lies with the UK Government and information is collected at UK level only.
On this basis, an estimated 125,000 people in the UK are covered by the Ombudsman's recommendations on occupational pensions.
Wind Farms
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the environmental impact of the construction and operation of the Scarweather Sands offshore wind farm on breeding harbour porpoises; what discussions his Department has had with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this subject; and if he will make a statement. [67601]
Mr. Hain: I have had no such representations. I refer the hon. Lady to the answer the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, my hon. Friend the Member for Carmarthen, West and South Pembrokeshire (Nick Ainger) gave to her on 20 January 2006, Official Report, column 1630W.
Home Department
Asylum/Immigration
Mr. Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants whose applications have been rejected were detained pending removal from the UK but subsequently released before removal in the last three years for which figures are available. [67891]
Mr. McNulty: The exact information requested is not available; it would only be available by examination of individual case files. Period statistics covering those leaving from detention during July to September 2005 have been published. This information has been broken down by the reasons for leaving detention, which includes removed from the UK, granted leave to enter/remain, granted temporary admission/release, bailed and other. Statistics on the total number of persons leaving detention during this period are published in the Quarterly Asylum bulletin. It is not possible to say which stage of the asylum process people are at when they are detained. Published editions of this bulletin and other information on immigration and asylum are available on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website at:http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Mr. Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants whose applications and subsequent appeal rights have been exhausted have fresh applications being considered by his Department. [68125]
Mr. McNulty: We are progressing the cases of approximately 6,000 failed asylum seekers who have submitted further representations which they claim amount to a fresh asylum application, following exhaustion of all their appeal rights. This information is based on internal management information and as such is not published within official statistics.
Mr. Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) exceptional leave to remain, (b) asylum and (c) indefinite leave to remain applications under consideration by his Department are the subject of involvement by hon. Members. [68126]
Mr. McNulty: Statistics are not routinely recorded on the numbers of each type of application to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) which are under consideration and which are also the subject of inquiries by right hon. and hon. Members.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of families with children have absconded while awaiting removal following the failure of their asylum applications in each of the last five years. [68224]
Mr. McNulty: The number of families with children that have absconded while awaiting removal following the failure of their asylum applications is not readily available. This information could be obtained by examination of individual case files only at disproportionate cost.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of families with children have been detained prior to removal following failed asylum applications over the last five years. [68225]
Mr. McNulty: The data on the number of families with children that have been detained prior to removal following failed asylum applications over the last five years is not readily available. This information could be obtained by examination of individual case files only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU citizens settled in the UK in (a) 2005 and (b) 2004. [67694]
Mr. McNulty: Statistics on EU nationals issued residence documentation showing settled status in 2004 were published in table 4.3 of the Command Paper “Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2004”. This publication is available from the Libraries of the House and from the Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html2005 data are due to be published in August. EU nationals are not obliged to seek documentation in order to reside lawfully in the United Kingdom; the figures relate to those who chose to do so and do not represent the total number of EU nationals remaining permanently in the UK.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with EU counterparts in controlling illegal immigration into the EU; and if he will make a statement. [67307]
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