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25 Oct 2006 : Column 1967W—continued
Lyn Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards reaching the target of reducing inequalities in health outcomes as measured by (a) infant mortality and (b) life
expectancy at birth by ten per cent. by 2010 in (i) the London strategic health authority area, (ii) the London borough of Newham and (iii) England. [93976]
Caroline Flint: On infant mortality, the latest figures confirm the previously reported trend for England that, despite continuing improvements in infant mortality rates among all groups, the relative gap between routine and manual groups and the population as a whole has widened over recent years since the target baseline. The latest data, for 2002-04, show the infant mortality rate for the whole population (for all those with valid social class) was 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.9 per 1,000 for those in routine and manual groups. The gap in the rate between routine and manual groups and the population as a whole was 19 per cent. in 2002-04, compared with 13 per cent. in the baseline period of 1997-99. This gap has remained unchanged since 2001-03.
The infant mortality target is a national target. The Department is exploring ways of interpreting historical data to try and assess progress on the infant mortality target at local level and is not routinely monitored at local level.
Life expectancy has increased for both males and females for England as a whole but it has improved more slowly in the spearhead group of local authority areas with the worst health and deprivation indicators. In England, average life expectancy for males is 76.6 and for females 80.9, in the spearhead group it is 74.6 for males and 79.4 for females. The slower rate of improvement in has led to a widening of the relative gap in life expectancy between England and the spearhead group. The latest data for 2002-04, show that the average life expectancy in the Spearhead Group was 2.60 per cent. lower than the England average for males, and 1.90 per cent. lower than the England average for females. Therefore, the relative gap has widened by one per cent. for men and eight per cent. for women since the baseline, 1995-97.
Five of the 11 spearhead local authority areas covered by the London strategic health authority are making sufficient progress to narrow the life expectancy gap for both men and women in line with target of reducing the gap by 10 per cent. by 2010. A further four areas are on track to narrow the gap for males or females. The remaining two areas are currently off track to meet the 2010 target.
The London borough of Newham is on track to narrow the gap for males but not females.
13 out of 70 spearhead areas in England are making sufficient progress to meet the target by 10 per cent. by 2010 for both men and women. A further 29 areas are on track to narrow their share of the gap for males or females. The remaining 28 areas are currently off track to meet their share of the 2010 target. The information is set out in the following lists:
Barking and Dagenham
Islington
Bolton
Oldham
Salford
Wigan
Liverpool
Rotherham
North Tyneside
South Tyneside
Sunderland
Sandwell
Bradford
Wakefield
Hartlepool
Middlesbrough
Halton
Blackpool
Kingston upon Hull, City of
North East Lincolnshire
Leicester
Nottingham
Stoke-on-Trent
Barrow-in-Furness
Bolsover
Easington
Burnley
Pendle
Lewisham
Newham
Manchester
Knowsley
Wirral
Walsall
Blackburn with Darwen
Chester-le-Street
Sedgefield
Wear Valley
Preston
Lincoln
Corby
Wansbeck
Tamworth
Greenwich
Haringey
Bury
Rochdale
Tameside
Barnsley
Doncaster
Gateshead
Newcastle upon Tyne
Birmingham
Wolverhampton
Redcar and Cleveland
Rossendale
Blyth Valley
Male and female LE both on track
Hackney
Hammersmith and Fulham
Lambeth
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
St. Helens
Coventry
Stockton-on-Tees
Warrington
Carlisle
Derwentside
Hyndburn
Nuneaton and Bedworth
Note:
This analysis is based on a point estimates for life expectancy and we are investigating the stability of the assessment.
Influenza
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preparations her Department has made for the 2006-07 influenza season. [94103]
Caroline Flint: A letter from the chief medical officer informing the national health service of the plans for the 2006-07 influenza programme was published on 29 June 2006. This explained the detail of the new programme, reported the vaccine supply issues, and advised on prioritisation.
A further letter was sent in September by the Department to general practitioners to provide an update on vaccine supply issues.
Mental Health
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was allocated for research into the causes of child and adolescent mental health in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [93018]
Andy Burnham: The main agency through which the Government supports biomedical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.
The MRC's expenditure on projects related to the causes of child and adolescent mental health in each of the last 10 years was as follows:
| £ million | |
| (1) Expenditure figures prior to 2000-01 are not directly comparable with those after that date as expenditure on Fellowships is not available for the earlier years. (2 )Estimated. | |
The purpose of most of the Department’s centrally funded research concerned with child and adolescent mental health has been to support policy and provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service.
Departmental expenditure on research projects(1) related to the causes of mental ill heath in children and adolescents is shown in the following table:
(1 )Includes three national child and adolescent mental health surveys.
| £ million( 1) | |
| (1) Includes the full cost of two projects jointly funded with the Home Office. | |
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and adolescents were prescribed drugs for mental health problems in each of the last 10 years, broken down by primary care trust; and if she will make a statement. [93019]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 20 March 2006, Official Report, column 166W.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many crisis resolution teams dedicated to children and adolescent mental health problems were in place in each of the last 10 years, broken down by primary care trust; and if she will make a statement. [93022]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Crisis resolution teams were established for people aged 16 to 65 years old with severe mental illness, for example schizophrenia, manic depressive disorders, severe depressive disorder, in an acute psychiatric crisis of such severity that, without the involvement of a crisis resolution/home treatment team, hospitalisation would be necessary. In a survey undertaken earlier this year 243 teams were identified.
In tracking progress towards the public service agreement target of a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health service in every area by the end of 2006 the Department is collecting information about the availability of a 24-hour, seven days a week emergency service for children and young people aged 17 or younger. At the end of June 2006, the latest date for which information is available, 85.5 per cent. of primary care trusts were commissioning such a service.
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to improve services in secure mental health units. [94106]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The impetus for improving the quality of services in secure mental health units comes through the contract negotiation process between the commissioners and providers of such services.
More generally, the Healthcare Commission provides an independent overseeing view on the performance of organisations providing secure mental
health services, in the same way that they do for other health care providers. The commission has a wide range of responsibilities, all aimed at improving the quality of health care.
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with other Government departments on improving services at secure mental health units. [94107]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department and the Home Office are the Government Departments with the greatest interest in secure mental health units. The Home Office interest stems from their responsibility for restricted patients who enter secure mental health units through the criminal justice system.
Health and Offender Partnerships, based in the Department, has responsibility for the health and criminal justice system interface and, on an ongoing basis, enables, where appropriate, a joint approach between the Department and the Home Office national offender management service to the development and improvement of secure mental health provision.
The dangerous and severe personality disorder is an example where the Home Office, the Department, the Prison Service and the national health service have come together to deliver new mental health services for people who are, or have previously been, considered dangerous as a result of severe personality disorder.
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