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8 Mar 2007 : Column 2188W—continued
PSNI provide a range of training and support to police officers dealing with such cases.
In foundation programmes the following areas are covered in relation to sexual offences:
How to identify the different offences of indecent assaults and rape.
Initial actions to be taken in relation to securing evidence at the scene of an indecent assault /rape and from the victim.
Procedure to be carried out during the initial investigation involving the use of the Child Abuse and Rape Enquiry (CARE) suite.
The students also receive a presentation on rape trauma highlighting the trauma that victims of rape and sexual offences may suffer and how to identify it. Opportunities are also provided to learn about the work of key voluntary organisations such as Nexus and Samaritans.
Crime training provides training for specialist officers in relation to interviewing and dealing with victims of sexual assault. Part of this training is provided jointly by police and social services.
The PSNI will shortly be delivering a nationally accredited course in the investigation of sexual crime to its specialist officers from the CARE Units. This course will commence in April 2007.
Work is also underway to establish the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Northern Ireland.
Health
Accidents: Children
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the accident rates for children in each socio-economic group. [121816]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The report of the Health Survey for England 2002, which was commissioned by the Department of Health (available online at ), included data on non-fatal accident rates for children by socio-economic group as identified by the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC). Boys whose household reference person (HRP) was in a managerial and professional occupation, or was a small employer or own account worker, had significantly lower major accident rates than those whose HRP was in a semi-routine or routine occupation. Girls whose HRP was in a managerial or professional occupation, or was a small employer or own account worker, had significantly lower major accident rates than those in other NS-SEC groups. There was no significant association between minor accident rates and the occupation of the household reference person(1). The Health Survey for England 2002 is available in the Library and at:
www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/document/deps/doh/survey02/hcyp/hcyp.htm
Research funded by the Department and published in the British Medical Journal included analysis of accident death rates for children by NS-SEC category, for selected types of accident in England and Wales in 2001-03 (Edwards, P. et al, BMJ 2006 Vol 333 No. 7559 pp 119-121). Compared with children of parents in higher managerial and professional occupations, the death rate in children of parents classified as never having worked or as long term unemployed was 21 times higher for pedestrian accidental injury deaths, and 38 times higher for accidental deaths due to exposure to smoke, fire and flames. There were also inequalities in accidental deaths as car occupants and cyclists.
Source:
(1)‘Major accidents’ are those about which a doctor was consulted or a hospital was visited; ‘minor accidents’ are all other accidents that caused pain or discomfort for over 24 hours.
Ambulance Services
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Copeland-based frontline paramedic staff went on stress-related sick leave in the 2005-06 financial year. [104002]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. However, I have asked the chief executive of the North West Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust to write to the hon. Member directly with this information.
Arthritis
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to issue guidelines on (a) the monitoring of patient outcomes for patients referred to clinical assessment teams, particularly for patients with serious inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and (b) the training of staff being recruited to clinical assessment teams to ensure that health professionals are able to identify inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. [119492]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The development of multi-disciplinary clinical assessment teams (CATs) are central to the delivery of the musculoskeletal services framework. The framework and accompanying implementation guidance emphasises the need for staff training needs to be organised in line with the operational detail of CATs and for the collection of activity and audit data, including information on clinical and patient outcomes. Data collection and staff training needs are matters ultimately for local decision.
Breast Feeding
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) financial and (b) other support her Department gave to National Breastfeeding Awareness Week in each year since its inception. [122637]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Since 1993, the Department has supported the National Breastfeeding Awareness Weeks (NBAW), as a key activity in promoting breastfeeding. The information requested on funding up to 2002 is not available. The following table sets out the funding for the NBAW from 2003 to 2005.
| £ | |
In these years, a range of educational and promotional materials were developed and made available to the health professionals, non-governmental organisations and voluntary organisations in support of local initiatives. In addition, the Department commissioned a public relations agency to generate media and promotional initiatives for the campaign. In the year 2005-06, no central funding was available and NBAW operated at local levels.
This year, the campaign will be held from 13 to 19 May 2007. The Department is planning a comprehensive communications package, including marketing support that will be launched at the week and continue through the year. The Department plans to spend £573,000 from the 2006-07 budget on the TV and radio filler advertising, public relations activity, website and promotional materials and continue this activity throughout 2007-08.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects her Department to publish the National Infant Feeding Survey 2005. [122638]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department aims to publish the National Infant Feeding Survey 2005 in summer 2007.
British Fluoridation Society: Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures of accountability she has imposed upon the British Fluoridation Society for the monies that her Department has granted to it. [122344]
Ms Rosie Winterton: When the new regulations on the fluoridation of water were made in 2005, which delegated responsibility for decisions on consultations for new fluoridation schemes to strategic health authorities, we ceased to make grants to the British Fluoridation Society (BFS).
The last grant was made to the BFS for the 2005-06 financial year.
Care Homes: Fees and Charges
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who sold their homes to pay for their stay in a care home in each year since 1997. [123461]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 15 January 2007, Official Report, column 882W.
Carers: Pensions
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the financial impact on carers over the age of 60 of the rule which precludes the payment of carer’s allowance for individuals with caring obligations but in receipt of a pension; and if she will make a statement. [124209]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 1 March 2007]: There have been no discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions on this particular matter, but on 21 March the Department launched plans for the revision of the 1999 Strategy for Carers which will be a pan-Government framework which takes account of the full needs of carers and brings together the responsibilities of the numerous agencies that impact on their lives.
Dental Services: Yorkshire and Humberside
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) adults and (b) children eligible for NHS dental treatment in the area covered by the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust have been asked to pay private rates due to their dentist using up their quota of Units of Dental Activity in 2006-07; and if she will make a statement; [122412]
(2) how many NHS dentists in the area covered by the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust had run out of quota of Units of Dental Activity in January; and if she will make a statement. [122415]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Departments: Freedom of Information
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions special advisers have been consulted in replying to freedom of information requests to her Department; and what her Department’s policy is on the role of special advisers in the answering of Freedom of Information requests. [119848]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not keep such records. Special advisers carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the “Code of Conduct for Special Advisers”.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs on the application of Freedom of Information regulations to private companies performing public services. [120358]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: In the course of official business Ministers have regular discussions with other Ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues.
Departments: Pendle
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure is planned to be carried out in Pendle by her Department in the years up to 2010; and if she will make a statement. [120604]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The East Lancashire primary care trust (PCT) is responsible for commissioning health services to meet the needs of the population of Pendle. In the current financial year the East Lancashire PCT has received a resource allocation of £506.2 million. In 2007-08 it will receive an allocation of £553.3 million.
Expenditure beyond financial year 2007-08 will be planned and allocated as part of the comprehensive spending review later this year.
Departments: Public bodies
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which reports commissioned by her Department from professional health bodies in each of the last five years have not been published; [125006]
(2) which reports were commissioned from professional health bodies by her Department in each of the last five years; what the cost was of each report; and on what date each report was published. [125007]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 2 March 2007]: This information is not collected centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Dermatology
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the impact of schemes to reduce the number of GP referrals into secondary care by primary care trusts on patients with skin disease. [121483]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No such assessment has been made centrally as this is for local determination. The Department has published guidance for general practitioners with a special interest in dermatology. The guidance draws on good practice and experience nationally and is intended to be advisory, offering best practice for the development of local services. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library and is available at:
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicy AndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4008233&chk=t3ZLMW
Fatalities During Birth
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many fatalities occurred in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006 following (i) a home birth with the assistance of a midwife, (ii) in a midwife-led unit, (iii) in a consultant-led maternity unit and (iv) elsewhere; [121048]
(2) how many babies were born in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006 (i) at home with the assistance of a midwife, (ii) in a midwife-led unit, (iii) in a consultant-led maternity unit and (iv) elsewhere; [121057]
(3) how many successful litigation cases were brought against the NHS involving (a) midwives assisting with home births, (b) midwife-led maternity units, (c) consultant-led maternity units and (d) other delivery formats in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006. [121085]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information is not available in the format required.
Fluoride: Babies
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department is undertaking into the impact of fluoride intake upon infants. [122343]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Research evidence shows, that apart from the benefits to oral health, the only effect of adding fluoride to drinking water to a level of one part per million is on the incidence of dental fluorosis. Since this effect occurs when the permanent dentition is developing in infancy, it has been suggested that babies fed on infant formula, which has been made up with fluoridated water, may be at risk. The most common
manifestation of dental fluorosis is a white flecking of the teeth. However, the affected teeth still enjoy the same protection from decay that fluoridation offers. The evidence to date shows that only a very small minority of people are concerned by the cosmetic effects of dental fluorosis, but we are considering the commissioning of further research in this area.
General Practitioners: Bedfordshire
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners in Bedfordshire have applied to the Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and its predecessors to seek funding to undertake training to become GPs with a specialist interest in each year since 1997, broken down by primary care trust; how many were successful; and if she will make a statement. [122817]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally.
Haemophilia
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many transplant operations have been carried out since 2000 in people with haemophilia who had been informed they were at risk for public health purposes in relation to vCJD; and if she will make a statement. [119894]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is unavailable as it is not recorded on the national transplant database.
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