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22 Jun 2006 : Column 2104W—continued
| Table 4. Prevalence of obesity and overweight among children aged two to 15 by gender, England 2004 | |
| England | Percentages |
| Source: Health Survey for England 2004—updating of trend tables to include 2004 data. The Information Centre for health and social care. | |
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the relationship between body mass index and malnutrition in children. [74152]
Caroline Flint: Malnutrition occurs when a deficiency, excess or imbalance of energy, protein, and other nutrients causes measurable adverse effects on tissue, function and clinical outcome.
The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and malnutrition in children is not straightforward as it is affected by age, gender, growth patterns and ethnicity. A BMI below the second centile of the UK 1990 BMI Percentile Charts for children, indicates that a child is at risk of malnutrition whilst a BMI above the 95th centile indicates that a child is at risk of being obese.
Palliative Care Beds (Worcestershire)
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of palliative care beds in Worcestershire; and if she will make a statement. [79617]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Funds are allocated direct to primary care trusts (PCTs) who are responsible for commissioning appropriate services to meet the needs of their local communities. It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities (SHAs) to work with PCTs and national health service trusts to ensure that those services commissioned do meet the needs of local communities and reflect national priorities. In this instance, this is a matter for West Midlands SHA.
The Department collects data relating to individual ward types. The information relating to the number of adult terminally ill/palliative care beds within the South Worcestershire PCT area is shown in the table.
| Average daily number of available terminally ill/palliative care: wholly or mainly adult beds, NHS organisations in England, 2001-02 to 2004-05 | |
| South Worcestershire PCT | Number |
| Source: Department of Health form KH03 | |
Palliative Care for the Terminally Ill
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to support the Palliative Care for the Terminally Ill Bill; and if she will make a statement. [73278]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are still considering the Bill, and will make their position known in due course.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cancer centres have (a) permanent Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) offices located on the same site and (b) access to outreach PALS offices; [78418]
(2) how many cancer patients were assisted by the Patient Advice and Liaison Service in the last year for which figures are available. [78427]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Because of the local nature of the patient advice and liaison service (PALS), the Department does not keep central data relating to PALS operational activities.
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is available to patient advice and liaison service (PALS) workers to enable them to offer or refer clients to information and advice on welfare benefits; what proportion of PALS workers have (a) requested and (b) received such training. [78426]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to make available advice on benefits to all patients including those with a terminal illness.
“Our Health, Our Care, Our Say; a new direction for community services” proposes that an information prescription will be developed for people with long-term health and social care needs. The information prescription will signpost people, including patients with cancer, to further information and advice about services, including where to get advice and information on benefits. We expect to include any support, like training, that professionals might need to give information prescriptions to people, in pilots that will be taking place before the prescription is introduced in 2008.
Overview and Scrutiny Committees
John Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on which occasions in the last five years
local authority scrutiny panels have referred complaints against NHS trusts to her Department; and which authorities made the referrals in each case; [75544]
(2) on how many occasions in the last five years local authority scrutiny panels, having considered complaints against NHS trusts, have referred matters to her Department. [75545]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Within the last five years, there have been 13 referrals from overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) to the Secretary of State for Health. These are shown in the table.
| OSC | Date of referral |
| (1 )Referral originally made under Community Health Council Regulations 1996. | |
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers overview and scrutiny committees have (a) to delay the introduction of health service changes, (b) to oppose such changes and (c) to present her with a clear proposal for further investigations. [78937]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The overview and scrutiny committee (OSC) has the power to refer decisions on substantial changes to the Secretary of State. This referral can be on the grounds of the following:
if consultation with the OSC has been inadequate; and
if the OSC does not believe the proposals for change are in the interests of the health service or local community.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers overview and scrutiny committees have to co-opt outside expertise. [76036]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) have powers set out in the Local Government Act 2000 to co-opt non-voting members onto OSCs. These co-opted members can be
a member of a committee of the county council or another local authority, for the purposes of relevant function of the committee in relation to the county council; or
a member of a committee of the county council, for the purposes of relevant functions of the committee in relation to another local authority.
This power enables county councils to co-opt members of OSCs from district councils to participate as full members of the OSC considering health services.
In addition to formal co-option, OSCs can ask people, such as members of patient forums, to
participate in other ways, for example, by providing information to the committee, attending as an expert witness, or acting as an adviser to the committee.
Unregistered Laser Machines
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has received from the Healthcare Commission on the number of unregistered laser machines in medical use in England; and what steps she has taken to reduce this number. [79578]
Andy Burnham: I have received no such information and understand from the Chairman of the Healthcare Commission that it is not available. The Chairman has said, however, that he would consider that there are very few unregistered laser machines being used for medical purposes, that is for laser eye surgery. The Commission has held discussions with the sector and its representatives about registration issues.
Intense pulsed light and laser machines are also used for beauty treatment purposes. Providers of this type of service are required to register with the Commission. The Commission is currently reviewing its policy for targeting unregistered providers and has been working to raise public awareness of the requirement on such providers to register with it.
Waiting Times
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of performance against the Government’s commitment that no-one should wait more than six months for an NHS in-patient operation. [78517]
Andy Burnham: The number of patients waiting over six months at the end of April 2006 was 144 as published on 2 June 2006. The figures relating to the end of May will be published on 30 June. Breaches of waiting time standards are unacceptable and the Department will continue to work closely with the small number of national health service organisations with patients waiting over six months. Patients can continue to expect inpatient treatment within six months of a decision to treat in line with the standard established in December 2005.
Duchy of Lancaster
Conference on Public Services
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the total cost was of the conference on public services held on 6 June 2006 by the National School of Government. [78269]
Mr. McFadden: The National School of Government’s estimate for the total cost of the conference “21st Century Public Services—Putting People First” on public service reform held on 6 June 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre is £281,000 (including VAT).
This figure includes all contract costs and expenses paid out for the event by the National School of Government, and by other delivery partners in Cabinet Office.
The figures given are taken from actual invoices and financial estimates maintained for the project. Most invoices have now been received and are in the process of payment. For any outstanding invoices, detailed estimates of costs have been obtained from suppliers. Figures given have been rounded.
External speakers, including the three international speakers, made their contributions on an expenses-only basis and no fees were paid for the preparation or delivery of any of the 11 speaker presentations at the conference.
Office Refurbishment
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost was of refurbishing the offices at 26 Whitehall in each year since 1997. [78299]
Hilary Armstrong: The Cabinet Office acquired 26 Whitehall in December 1998. The cost of refurbishing 26 Whitehall from then until December 2002 cannot be separately identified as the refurbishment was undertaken as part of an integrated project which included the refurbishment of the inter-connected 22 Whitehall and Admiralty Arch.
Since the major refurbishment works were completed, there have been no refurbishments undertaken at 26 Whitehall.
Home Department
Abdullah Baybasin
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will consider deportation proceedings against Abdullah Baybasin. [75841]
Mr. Byrne: The Department’s long-standing policy is not to comment on individual cases.
Alcohol Budget
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by his Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes. [77434]
Mr. Byrne: The Home Office records expenditure on hospitality but has no plans to maintain separate records of expenditure on alcohol.
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