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17 Jan 2007 : Column 1228Wcontinued
Unweighted( 1) | Weighted | |||||
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
(1) From 2003 data were also weighted for non response. Data weighted for child selection only are provided for consistency with previous years. Source: Health Survey for England 2005updating of trend tables to include 2005 data. The Information Centre |
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the link between obesity and (a) diabetes type II and (b) free sugar intake in liquid form. [114310]
Caroline Flint: The message that obesity is a major contributor to type 2 diabetes is highlighted in the Chief Medical Officers report At least five a week and the Choosing Health White Paper. Evidence suggests that obesity is responsible for 47 per cent. of cases of type 2 diabetes.
The Department has not made an assessment on the link between obesity and free sugar intake in liquid form. However, the Government are in discussion with stakeholders, including the food industry, to develop a strategy to enable consumers to achieve energy balance. The levels of sugars in some foods and drinks are being explored as part of this strategy.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of sugar substitution in addressing obesity; and if she will make a statement. [114311]
Caroline Flint: The causes of obesity are multi-factorial. The Department has no current plans to assess the specific implications on obesity from sugar substitution. However, the Government are in discussion with stakeholders, including the food industry, to develop a strategy to enable consumers to achieve energy balance; the level of sugars in some foods is being explored as part of this strategy.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned into the link between obesity and cancer in (a) adults and (b) children. [114312]
Caroline Flint: There has been no research commissioned by the Department on links between obesity and cancer in either adults or children. However, the Department recognises the summary research evidence available from studies in the United Kingdom, which shows that the risk of a number of cancers is increased by obesity, including breast cancer, cancer of the endometrium, uterus, cervix, ovary and gall bladder in women and cancer of the rectum and prostate in men.
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to detect and identify pathogens that pose threats to livestock in the United Kingdom. [109596]
Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) on 8 January 2007, Official Report, columns 267-68W.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of funding of each primary care trust was spent on public health in the last 12 months. [113692]
Caroline Flint: Estimates of primary care trust expenditure on public health are available from the healthy individuals category in the programme budgeting returns. Expenditure in this category covers immunisation, screening and general/routine health examinations. However, not all spend on public health will necessarily be picked up in this category.
The net spend on healthy individuals as a proportion of total net operating expenditure, for each primary care trust in England for the financial year 2005-06, has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of skin cancer; [113868]
(2) what steps her Department is taking to reduce the prevalence of skin cancer cases in the UK; [113869]
(3) in what ways her Department is working with the Department for Education and Skills to ensure young people are adequately informed about the causes and dangers of skin cancer; [113861]
(4) in what ways her Department is working with the Department for Trade and Industry to promote awareness of the dangers of skin cancer amongst outdoor workers. [113862]
Caroline Flint: The Department of Health and the other United Kingdom Health Departments have for the last three years commissioned Cancer Research UK to run SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention and sun protection campaign. The campaign includes raising both public and professional awareness of skin cancer by providing information about skin cancer and its early detection, and by providing guidance on preventative measures to reduce its risk. The campaign raises awareness through support for health promotion events, the provision of printed resources, media briefings and the SunSmart website. By so doing, and by targeting specific at-risk groups, the campaign aims to reduce the prevalence of skin cancer.
Cancer Research UK and the Department have worked with other departments and organisations in raising awareness of issues related to skin cancer and in developing the SunSmart campaign.
The campaign has helped schools to develop their own sun protection policies through school guidelines and curriculum resources for use in the classroom. The healthy schools programme, a joint Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills initiative, is currently building a new website. This will signpost advice and good practice on a range of health matters which can be made available to schools including the dangers caused to children at school by excessive exposure to sunlight. Cancer Research UK also consulted extensively with the Health and Safety Executive in developing the prevention campaign for men and outdoor workers.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the funding provided to local authorities to support the implementation of smoke-free legislation set out in Local Authority Circular LAC 2006(17) includes provision for potential increased costs of street cleaning. [114336]
Caroline Flint: Funding provided to local authorities is set out in this circular to enable them to build compliance with the smoke free regulations to take enforcement action. It is for local authorities to decide how best to use these resources in their own areas.
Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of staff who have been (a) made redundant, (b) redeployed and (c) offered early retirement as a result of the amalgamation of strategic health authorities; and what estimate she has made of the costs of this action. [115399]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of redundancies is collected from NHS organisations and published on a quarterly basis. Information on the numbers and costs of staff redeployed or offered early retirement is not collected centrally.
As at 30 September 2006, there have been two compulsory redundancies in strategic health authorities.
Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to control the unsupervised use of tanning beds and coin-operated tanning machines by under-16s. [113867]
Caroline Flint: There are at present no specific mechanisms or regulations that relate to the use of unsupervised/coin-operated sunbeds by under-16s. However the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidance which advises against use by those under 16. Cancer Research UK has also worked with representatives of the industry to help improve information for both staff and customers. That includes the displaying, of information specifically discouraging the use of sunbeds by young people under 16. In the light of concerns about unsupervised tanning salons and coin-operated sunbeds, the Department is planning further discussions with the HSE and other stakeholders to see whether the existing guidance aimed at sunbed operators and customers needs to be strengthened.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether the conception rate for girls under 18 years of age is on course to decrease by 50 per cent. by 2010, as announced in Choosing Health in 2004. [115222]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
We have made steady progress in reducing teenage pregnancies since the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was launched in 1999. Between 1998 (the baseline year for the strategy) and 2004 (the latest year for which data are available) the under-18 conception rate has fallen by 11.1 per cent. and the under-16 rate has fallen by 15.2 per cent. Both rates are now at their lowest level since the mid-1980s. However, we need to accelerate progress to achieve the challenging PSA target to halve the under-18 conception rate by 2010.
Progress in local areas is variable, with some areas seeing significant reductions in their rates, while in other areas rates are static or increasing. That is why we have issued detailed delivery guidance to local authorities and PCTs setting out what has worked in areas with sharply declining rates. All areas have been asked to review their local strategies in the light of these findings and reflect them in their forward plans. We have also provided new analysis on the underlying factors that increase the risk of teenage pregnancy, to help local areas target their strategies in high-rate neighbourhoods and on young people at greatest risk.
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by the Department to reduce the use of trans fats. [113954]
Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency welcomes and encourages the voluntary initiatives some businesses have undertaken to reduce the trans fats levels in their food products. However, any product reformulation to reduce the levels of trans fats (generally through the removal of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) should not result in increases in the saturated fat levels in foods. Dietary intakes of trans fats are well within maximum recommended intakes, whereas saturated fat intakes currently exceed public health recommendations. Consequently saturated fat intakes represent the greater heart health risk and remain the priority.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tuberculosis infections there were in each year since 1979. [113011]
Caroline Flint: The number of notified cases of tuberculosis in England and Wales for each year from 1979 to 2005 is provided in the following table.
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