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23 Oct 2006 : Column 1708W—continued
Cancer Referrals
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of suspected cancer cases were seen within two weeks of a referral in each of the last 20 years. [93836]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not held centrally for the period requested. The two week out-patient waiting time standard for all urgent general practitioner referrals for suspected cancer was introduced in 2000. From an audit of waiting times in 1997, 63 per cent. of people with suspected cancer were seen by a specialist within two weeks of urgent referral by their GP—today the figure is 99.9 per cent. From August 2001, data on national health service performance on all cancer waiting times targets have been published quarterly on the Department’s website at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/.
Carers
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress the Department of Health has made on the commitment contained in the White Paper, “Our health, Our care, Our say” to establish an expert carers programme; [92269]
(2) whether there will be a formal public consultation on the commitment contained in the White Paper, “Our health, Our care, Our say”, to provide short-term home-based respite support for carers in crisis or emergency situations; [92271]
(3) if she will make a statement on the requirement for local councils to establish short-term home-based respite support for carers in crisis or emergency situations, as set out in the White Paper, “Our health, Our care, Our say”, with particular reference to (a) the eligibility criteria, (b) the time scale and (c) the budget for the implementation of this commitment. [92272]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The overall budget and associated criteria and time scales for taking forward these commitments are being determined. We are currently scoping out how the relevant work streams will be taken forward.
The Princess Royal Trust has already undertaken a survey, on our behalf, of existing support for carers along similar lines to the expert patient programme and has ascertained that much relevant activity is under way. In consultation with the national carers’ organisations, we are therefore developing delivery models for a programme that will build on and support existing activity.
Similarly, we intend to build on examples of existing good practice in developing the provision of respite care in emergency or crisis situations. We are not planning a formal public consultation at national level but again will work closely with national organisations in developing the arrangements and will expect local authorities to take into account the views of their local populations in planning and developing their services.
Cloned Animal Ingredients
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the (a) labelling and (b) sale of food products including ingredients derived from cloned animals. [96144]
Caroline Flint: The sale of foods and food ingredients derived from cloned animals falls within the scope of the Novel Foods Regulation (EC) 258/97. The authorisation and labelling of novel foods is decided on a case-by-case basis and no applications have been received to date for products derived from cloned animals.
Corporate Purchasing Cards
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many corporate purchasing cards have been issued within the national health service. [92614]
Andy Burnham: 338 Government procurement cards have been issued within the national health service.
Delayed Discharges
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were in each quarter in the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority. [96476]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: A table of the data relating to the number of delayed discharges there were in each quarter broken down by local authority for the last three years for which figures are available has been placed in the Library.
Dementia
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost of dementia to (a) the NHS and (b) social services departments for (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06. [92299]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: No assessment has been made by the Department estimating the costs of dementia to the national health service and social service departments for 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what projections she has made of the number of people with dementia in England in (a) 2010, (b) 2020, (c) 2030, (d) 2040 and (e) 2050. [92300]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Projections can be made of the numbers of people with dementia in England. This is done by applying Office for National Statistics population projections to the data on the incidence and prevalence of dementia generated from research such as the Medical Research Council (MRC) funded cognitive function and ageing study (CFAS) for the United Kingdom and Alzheimer's Disease International's recent modelling of the global prevalence of dementia for western Europe.
The approximate figures in UK are shown in the following table.
| Number of dementia sufferer | |
Dentistry
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to ensure that people on low incomes have access to free dental health care. [94054]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Under the dental reforms introduced in England on 1 April 2006, those on low incomes remain exempt from national health service charges. The reforms are designed to support primary care trusts (PCTs) in improving access to NHS dental
services. The Government have increased investment in primary care dentistry by over £400 million since 2003-04. PCTs now have greater flexibility to use resources to meet the needs of their local populations. For the first time, PCTs also retain resources locally when a dentist ceases to provide NHS services and use these resources to commission services from other dentists. The overall level of services being commissioned by PCTs is now higher than in 2005-06.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have been brought to the attention of the General Dental Council in the last two years, broken down by country in which they graduated for their initial dental degree. [96143]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the total carbon emissions from her Department's buildings in each year since 1997. [89415]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The reported carbon emissions (weather corrected) from the Department's administrative estate from 1999-2000, in KgC are as follows:
| Number | |
The figures do not take account of the Department's purchase of “green” energy. Since 2003-4 at least 50 per cent. of our electricity has been from renewable sources.
Information is not available for years prior to 1999.
Departmental Expenditure
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was spent by her Department on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02; [91884]
(2) how much was spent by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) other persons in each year since 2001-02. [91929]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The costs associated with hotel and other privately provided accommodation are not required to be separately identified by the Department's financial reporting system. All claims for
general subsistence are in line with the Department's expenses guide and payments for alcoholic drinks are exceptional.
Under the terms of the ministerial code, travel by Ministers, and the Civil Service Management Code, Ministers and departmental officials are expected to make efficient and cost-effective arrangements. We are satisfied that all claims paid conform to these codes.
Drug Misuse
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on tackling drug misuse in each of the last 10 years. [93760]
Caroline Flint: Since 2001, the Department of Health and the Home Office have provided for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB). This funding is then allocated to the 149 drug action teams across the country to use, along with local mainstream funding, to provide for treatment and services according to the specific needs of each locality. We do not have information on drug treatment spend prior to 2001.
Expenditure on drug treatment (excluding prison-based treatment) since 2001 is shown in the table.
| Central Government funding (pooled treatment budget) | Local funding (local authorities, primary care trusts, police and probation) | |||
| Allocation (£ million) | Percentage increase | Allocation (£ million) | Total funding (£ million) | |
| (1) Estimated. (2) Local funding increases based on 2 per cent. inflation increase. | ||||
Expert Patient Programme
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have accessed the Expert Patient programme in each year since it was established; and if she will make a statement. [92290]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: During the pilot phase of the programme from 2002 to 2004 the following number of people accessed the course:
| Number of people | |
After the pilot when the expert patient programme was being mainstreamed through primary care trusts the following number of people accessed the course:
| Number of people | |
General Practitioners (Milton Keynes)
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices in Milton Keynes primary care trust have closed their lists to new patients. [91479]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally.
Hospices
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of core budget requirements for the hospice movement in England is provided by central Government. [91628]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Data supplied by Help the Hospices state that, in 2004 NHS funding for adult voluntary hospices averaged 38 per cent. of expenditure, although this figure varied across the country. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations. There is no requirement that PCTs should ensure voluntary hospices receive a fixed proportion of public funding and there are no plans to introduce a requirement. The level of funding agreed is a matter for local negotiation between the PCT and the hospice.
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