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5 Jun 2006 : Column 373W—continued
Mental Health
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the findings were of the race equality impact assessment of the 2004 draft Mental Health Bill; and when she expects to publish the assessment. [71253]
Ms Rosie Winterton: As the draft Mental Health Bill published in 2004 no longer represents current Government policy on mental health legislation we have not and do not intend to finalise the report of the race equality impact assessment (REIA) that was undertaken last year. However, we have listened to what people said during the consultation on the 2004 draft Bill and we will carry forward their comments when developing the REIA for the amending Bill.
We will be publishing a summary of the responses collected from the former REIA process, to assist in the development of issues for the current REIA. The summary will be available on the Department website shortly.
Information about the Mental Health Bill REIA is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/LiveConsultations/LiveConsultations Article/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4134722&chk=Uug Hb7.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to the insertion of a non-discrimination clause in the Bill to amend the Mental Health Act 1983. [71255]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There is no need to include a non-discrimination clause in the Bill to amend the Mental Health Act because the legislation must work in conjunction with other non-discrimination legislation, including the Race Relations Act, which prohibits any discrimination on racial grounds including race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origins, and the Disability Discrimination Act.
However, while there is no need to duplicate this principle in primary legislation, we recognise the need to ensure that this important principle is understood and adhered to by those who use the Mental Health Act. We will therefore include guidance on how to avoid discrimination in the Mental Health Code of Practice.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to conduct a race equality impact assessment of (a) amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983 to be made by the planned Mental Health Bill and (b) the Mental Health Act 1983, as amended, in its entirety. [71256]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We are currently conducting a race equality impact assessment (REIA) of the amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983. As part of this, we will be holding a series of workshop events across the country which started at the end of May and will run throughout the beginning of June this year. In addition we have published a questionnaire on our website and we are engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that as many people as possible are involved in the process.
The Race Relations Amendment Act requires us to assess and consult on the impact of proposed polices. That is what we are doing. We will not be carrying out a race equality impact assessment on the entire Mental Health Act 1983. However, in line with our commitment to monitoring existing policies for adverse impact, we will be noting any issues that are raised about the existing Act when we consult for the REIA on the amending Bill.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which parts of the original proposed draft Mental Health Bill she plans to introduce by regulation; and on what timescale. [69435]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are a number of policies which were in the 2004 draft Mental Health Bill which we are not intending to take forward in the proposed Bill to amend the Mental Health Act 1983. Our intention with the proposed amending Bill is to focus on the main priorities in terms of modernising mental health legislation. Some of the policies which will not be in the amending Bill may be taken forward through other means.
For example, we are using our programme on risk management to promote the importance of care planning and we intend to use the Code of Practice to provide guidance on many issues, such as the importance of information sharing between agencies involved in a patient's care. We may also use other legislative vehicles to introduce some of the changes previously planned. For example, we are currently considering the possibility of using other legislation to provide a second tier appellate structure allowing for appeals to be heard within the tribunal system but this will not be specific to mental health, and to improve the monitoring functions of the Mental Health Act Commission. We will also be exploring the scope for clarifying the safeguards for children, if necessary through the amendment of existing regulations and guidance.
In terms of the changes we are planning to make to the 1983 Act, these may involve some new powers to make secondary legislation. In particular, we are intending to improve patient safeguards by increasing the speed and frequency of the Mental Health Review Tribunal's consideration of cases for all civil patients treated under the Act, by taking an order making power.
Multi-professional Education and Training Budget
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the multi-professional education and training budget was in each year for which figures are available; and what budget is planned for future years. [73844]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The amount budgeted for the multi-professional education and training budget in each year for which figures are available is shown in the table. Budgets for 2006-07 onwards have not yet been determined.
| £ million | |
| Multi-professional education and training | |
National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to assess the implementation of the national service framework for long-term conditions. [75204]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Progress on implementation of the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions will be measured in a number of ways, including:
research studies commissioned as part of a national research initiative to underpin implementation of the NSF, to provide baseline data needed to measure the subsequent impact of the NSF;
work to develop a national minimum dataset for long-term neurological conditions;
implementation of clinical indicators developed as part of the Better Metrics programme; and
work with the Healthcare Commission and Commission for Social Care Inspection to identify ways of monitoring and inspecting progress.
Neo-natal Nursing
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for neo-natal nursing staff in each (a) regional health authority and (b) NHS trust; and if she will make a statement. [73304]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of vacancies for neo-natal nursing staff is not collected centrally.
NHS Deficits
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of (a) nurses and (b) midwives who may lose their jobs as a consequence of NHS deficits. [69974]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Decisions on such posts are made locally and the Department does not collect information of this kind centrally.
NHS Direct
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when Ministers ceased to monitor the number of disabled nurses employed by NHS Direct; [74519]
(2) how many former paramedics are employed by NHS Direct; how many of them are disabled; and how many of the latter are employed at call centres planned for closure. [74525]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not monitor the number of disabled staff employed by NHS Direct.
Information on how many former paramedics are employed by NHS Direct and how many of them are disabled is not centrally held. It may be available from the Chairman of NHS Direct special health authority.
NHS Expenditure
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the total NHS budget was spent on (a) mental health services, (b) prescription drugs and (c) anti-depressants in each of the last five years. [69339]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the requested format. Information on expenditure by the national health service on mental health services in each of the last five years for which data are available is shown in Table 1. The table also shows the proportion of mental health expenditure as part of the hospital and community mental health services budget. The data exclude social care spend on people with mental health problems, and expenditure concerning people treated in primary care for whom a specific diagnosis has not been reached. The figures therefore underestimate the total mental health expenditure.
| Table 1 | |||||
| Gross expenditure on mental health (volume terms) | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 |
Information on the value of anti-depressant items and all items prescribed on the NHS in England are set out in Tables 2 and 3 respectively.
| Table 2: NHS anti-depressant prescription medications in England 2000 to 2005—quantity and cost | ||
| Number of anti-depressant medicines prescribed on the NHS in England | Value of anti-depressant items prescribed on the NHS in England (£) | |
| Table 3: NHS prescription medications in England 2000 to 2005—quantity and cost | ||
| Items | Costs | |
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent per head of population in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Tamworth constituency in each year since 1997. [68371]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested.
The table shows the total expenditure per head by organisations within the current Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority (SHA) area.
| Expenditure per head (£) | |
| Notes: 1. Expenditure by strategic health authority area is taken as the total expenditure of the strategic health authority, predecessor health authorities and primary care trusts within the current strategic health authority area. 2. Expenditure on general dental services and pharmaceutical services accounted for by the Dental Practice Board and Prescription Pricing Authority, respectively, are excluded. This expenditure cannot be included within the figures for the individual health bodies as they are not included in commissioner accounts. 3. 2004-05 is the latest year for which information is available. Sources: Audited accounts of relevant health authorities 1997-98 and 1998-99. Audited summarisation forms of relevant health authorities 1999-2000 to 2001-02. Audited summarisation schedules of relevant primary care trusts 2000-01 to 2004-05. Audited summarisation forms of Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 2002-03 to 2004-05. | |
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