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6 July 2006 : Column 1254W—continued
Nursing Staff
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) community matrons, (b) health visitors and (c) school nurses have been appointed in each primary care trust area in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [67421]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of community matrons, health visitors and school nurses in post in primary care trusts (PCTs) at September 2005 is shown in the table.
| Headcount | |
| Health visitors (England) | |
The number of health visitors has increased by 2,793 (28 per cent.) since 1997.
School nurses were collected for the first time in the 2003 census. However, the data was incomplete as only 27 per cent. of PCTs coded staff using the new school nursing codes.
The table shows the increase in school nurses since 2004.
| England | Headcount | Full time equivalent | |||
| Total qualified school nursing nurses | of which qualified school nurses | of which full-time | Total qualified school nursing nurses | of which qualified school nurses | |
There were 943 (665 full-time equivalent) nurses who held a school nursing qualification in 2005 an increase of 87 (10 per cent.) since 2004.
Obesity
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to reduce childhood obesity; and if she will make a statement. [67832]
Caroline Flint: Reducing obesity is one of the six overarching priorities of the “Choosing Health” White Paper, published in November 2004. In July 2004, the Government set a public service agreement (PSA) target to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole.
Specific actions to reduce childhood obesity include:
requirements to meet healthy eating and physical activity criteria to achieve Healthy School status;
new school food-based standards from September 2006, followed by more stringent nutrient-based standards in primary schools by September 2008, and secondary schools by September 2009;
ensuring the school sports strategy and sports partnerships are making the maximum impact on child obesity;
looking at ways of restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children;
working with the food industry to reduce levels of fat, salt and sugar in products, and to provide front-of-pack labelling to enable consumers to make informed choices;
development of a healthy living social marketing campaign; and
providing an activity toolkit for schools to support physical activity across the school day, including the journey to school and after school clubs.
In addition, we have published a self-help guide to assist parents in managing their children's weight, a care pathway for treating and managing childhood obesity and an obesity bulletin to give practitioners and managers new tools to handle obesity. We are strengthening our actions in early years through schemes like Sure Start and through health visitors' targeted interventions. The data on height and weight that primary care trusts (PCTs) will be collecting in primary schools from this summer will help them identify which areas, schools or children's centres need particular help. Comprehensive National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on the prevention and treatment of obesity will also support PCTs' and practitioners' contribution to tackling obesity locally.
Olympics
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which officials in her Department (a) are responsible for Olympics-related activity and (b) sit on the inter-departmental steering group for the Olympics. [81563]
Caroline Flint: Professor Sue Atkinson, regional director of public health - London, is responsible for Olympics and paralympics-related activity within the Department and represents the Department on the inter-departmental steering group. Hilary Ross, public health manager in the regional public health group—London, is the Olympic co-ordinator in the Department.
Osteoporosis
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by her Department following the announcement in April 2005 of funding for DXA bone density scanners; and if she will make a statement. [81623]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The Department allocated £3 million revenue (£214,000 each), on a non-recurrent basis in 2005-06, to 14 strategic health authorities (SHAs) for the purchase of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners on the basis of their lack of scanning capacity, according to evidence provided to us by the Office for National Statistics. Capital provision of £17 million has been made available in 2006-07 and
2007-08 to improve national health service capacity through investment in new Dexa scanning equipment. Responsibility of delivery for spend rests with SHAs.
Our Health, Our Say
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what task groups have been established to take forward the “Our Health, Our Say” White Paper implementation plan; and who has been appointed to each such group. [79448]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 22 June 2006]: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Papilloma Virus Vaccine
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preparations her Department has made for a human papilloma virus vaccination programme. [81620]
Caroline Flint: A sub-group of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) met in May 2006 to review all the available information on human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines and will hold further meetings during 2006. Implementation plans will be based on the advice of JCVI as to the most effective immunisation schedule should HPV vaccine be judged to be beneficial.
Sexual Health
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2006, Official Report, column 1567W, on sexual health, which sexually transmitted disease clinics have (a) opened and (b) closed in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [81439]
Caroline Flint: There are a number of different kinds of services that provide testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, which primary care trusts use to meet the needs of their population. Information on these services is not collected centrally.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment she has made of the ability of genito-urinary medicine clinics to cope with the possible additional demand for their services arising from the sexual health education campaign; and what representations she has received on this; [83035]
(2) what date she originally expected her Department to launch its latest sexual health education campaign; and when it will be launched. [83036]
Caroline Flint: In developing the campaign, the Department is consulting with stakeholders, and the possible impact of the campaign on the demand for sexual health services is being carefully considered.
The campaign planning process takes account of the fact that many areas will need time to make use of the major new investment, provided through the ‘Choosing Health’ White Paper, to improve capacity.
The campaign will particularly target 16 to 24-year-olds, the group at highest risk, and links closely to the joint Department and Department for Education and Skills media campaign that supports the teenage pregnancy strategy. It will initially focus on strong prevention messages to minimise the immediate pressure on services until such time as the number of new infections begins to stabilise or decline. Only then will the campaign start to signpost people to screening and treatment. And this will happen gradually through local mechanisms to help ensure clinics will be able to meet demand, as progress is made in modernising sexual health services through the chlamydia screening programme, improved access to genito-urinary medicine and reproductive health services.
The Department has not set a firm date for the campaign launch but current plans are being developed for later this year. We are committed to the most effective action possible and ensuring that we work closely with stakeholders. The overall aim of the campaign will be to drive greater personal responsibility for sexual health.
Wheelchairs
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of NHS trust deficits on the provision of wheelchairs for disabled children. [82042]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: No assessment has been made of the effect of national health service trust deficits on the provision of wheelchairs for disabled children.
Funding for all NHS wheelchair services comes out of revenue funding to primary care trusts (PCTs). This funding is not ring-fenced and it is for each PCT to assess local need and allocate funds accordingly.
Treasury
Advance Pricing Agreements
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many advance pricing agreements (a) have been made and (b) were in force with multinational companies in each year since 2001; and in how many cases in each year (i) enforcement action was taken and (ii) penalties made in transfer pricing disputes. [82680]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is as follows.
(a) and (b) The number of advance pricing agreements within s85 FA99 made in each year (and in force at the end of each year) was:
| Number | In force at end of each year | |
All agreements relate to multinational companies.
(i) The number of occasions where an Inland Revenue/HMRC intervention has resulted in a transfer pricing adjustment to a tax computation are:
| Number | |
(ii) Penalties following transfer pricing inquiries have been agreed on five cases. These all fall in 2005-06.
AIDS
Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with G8 Finance Ministers on establishing a funding plan to achieve AIDS treatment for all by 2010. [83211]
Ed Balls: The UK has continued discussions with G8 partners on how to take forward the Gleneagles commitment to achieve universal access to HIV treatment for all those who need it by 2010. On 2 June 2006, the UN General Assembly agreed a political declaration on AIDS which commits to providing additional resources from donor countries and from national budgets. This follows the UNAIDS estimate that $20-23 billion dollars will be needed annually by 2010 to provide universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment care and support. The political declaration commits to ensure that costed, credible national HIV/AIDS plans are developed and funded, and include ambitious national targets for achieving universal access by 2010. The UK has also sought G8 commitment to ensure that the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and malaria has sufficient resources.
The UK has committed to spend £1.5 billion to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS between 2005-06 and 2007-08. We are working with UNAIDS who are leading the global effort of other donors, multilateral agencies, civil society and the private sector to ensure that additional resources are committed to support our efforts to achieve universal access.
BDO Stoy Hayward
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met BDO Stoy Hayward; and what matters were discussed. [70827]
John Healey
[holding answer 15 May 2006]: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous
Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
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