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4 Sep 2006 : Column 2113W—continued
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Brent (a) were entitled to and (b) received the vaccine for influenza in each year since 1997. [87238]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected in the format requested.
Influenza vaccine uptake data for those aged 65 and over has been collected since 2000. For 2000-01 and 2001-02 the data was collected by health authority. The uptake for Brent and Harrow Health Authority (HA) in 2000-01 was 61 per cent. and in 2001-02 was 67 per cent.
Influenza uptake by primary care trust (PCT) was collected from 2002 to 2006 and is available on the web at: www.immunisation.nhs.uk/article.php?id=448. A copy has been placed in the Library.
General practitioners are responsible for ordering sufficient flu vaccine to immunise those who fall into at risk groups registered with them.
Influenza vaccine uptake for those aged 65 and over in Brent is shown in the following table.
| HA/PCT | Rate of uptake(percentage) | |
| (1) Data reported by HA. Data collected by PCT from 2002-03. | ||
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 2060W, on influenza vaccine, how often in the last 10 years the Novartis Vaccines plant has been out of production; and what the reasons were in each case. [87726]
Caroline Flint: The Novartis Vaccines plant did not produce influenza vaccine in 2004, following an inspection by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Information Sharing
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in developing a pilot to test an integrated approach to information handling between a primary care trust and a local authority. [84466]
Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 16 June 2006, Official Report, columns 1557-58W.
Information Technology Projects
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) current expected completion date, (d) planned cost and (e) current estimated cost is for each information technology project being undertaken by her Department and its agencies; and if she will make a statement. [87178]
Caroline Flint: The information technology projects currently being undertaken by the Department and its agencies are shown in the table:
Intensive Care Beds
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensive care beds were available on average in 2005-06; and what the average occupancy rates were. [88525]
Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1340W. Data are not yet available for 2005-06.
Intensive Therapy Units
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when an assessment was last made of the sufficiency of capacity in intensive therapy units in England; and if she will make a statement. [85320]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 17 July 2006]: It is for local health care providers, working with their commissioners, to determine—in the light of their case mix and their anticipated level of emergency and elective activity—the level of critical care capacity needed locally.
The NHS Plan published in 2000 included a commitment to increase the number of critical care beds in England by 30 per cent., between 2000 and 2003. This target has been achieved. On 6 June 2006, there were 3,278 adult critical care beds. This is the highest number of critical care beds recorded since this census started in 1999. Data are available on the Department's website at:
www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data_requests/index.htm
International Humanitarian Health Work Toolkit
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to strengthen the International Humanitarian and Health Work Toolkit to increase the amount of humanitarian work that NHS staff undertake abroad. [88900]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is working closely with the review Lord Crisp is carrying out on behalf of the Prime Minister. This is looking at how the national health service can contribute to capacity building in developing countries. We will review the need to update and strengthen the toolkit in the light of his report.
Isolated Acute Medical Services
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she has made in implementing the recommendations of the 2002 Royal College of Physicians working party on isolated acute medical services. [88533]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Local national health service organisations are responsible for ensuring that they provide health care to meet the needs of their patients taking into account and building on evidence of good practice. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) recommendations on isolated acute medical services is one such piece of good practice guidance. Progress in implementing recommendations made by the RCP is not monitored by the Department.
Learning and Development
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated for the new contractual commitment to providing learning and development opportunities for all NHS staff. [86145]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Specific funding, amounting to £180 million over three years for national vocational qualifications and learning accounts, as part of the skills for life initiative ended in 2005-06.
From 2006-07, the continuing responsibility for these initiatives remains with the strategic health authorities who will decide their priorities and the use of the totality of their funding to deal with all of their financial commitments, including learning and development of national health service staff.
Liquor Manufacturers
Steve Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make it her policy to require liquor manufacturers in England to supply consumers with full information about the ingredients used to produce
their beverages; and if she will make a statement; [88530]
(2) if she will make an assessment of public support for an end to the exemption from food labelling laws for liquor manufacturers. [88531]
Caroline Flint: Food labelling legislation is largely harmonised at European Union level. The European Commission is currently conducting a review of this legislation, which includes the possible extension of ingredient listing to alcoholic drinks. As part of this review, the United Kingdom (UK) has already indicated to the European Commission that it supports the principle of ingredient listing for all alcoholic drinks, while recognising that any proposal for detailed application will need to be fully considered in public consultation with stakeholders.
The UK Government’s position on ingredient listing for alcoholic drinks was informed by extensive public consultations, which took place in 2004 and 2006. Any proposals from the European Commission for an extension of ingredient listing to alcoholic drinks will be subject to further public consultation and a full impact assessment.
Lymphoma
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on lymphoma nurse specialists in each year since 2001. [87918]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and to commission services accordingly. The Government have supported the development of a range of specialist roles within nursing, and trusts must deploy them in the light of their local circumstances.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment she has made of the merits of specialist services to treat myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferers; [87999]
(2) what assessment she has made of the effect of budgetary pressures within the NHS on specialist services for myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferers. [88000]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: A report on specialist services for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is expected to be published later in the year.
We have made no assessment of the effect of budgetary pressures within the National Health Service on specialist services for CFS/ME.
Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost in a year to the economy of myalgic encephalomyelitis; and how much was spent on health services for myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferers in the last period for which figures are available. [88343]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has not made an estimate of the cost to the economy of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, and does not monitor national health service expenditure by specific illnesses.
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