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2 May 2007 : Column 1777W—continued

Dental Services

Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2007, Official Report, column 2098W, on dental services, how many
2 May 2007 : Column 1778W
dentists were operating on open NHS contracts in Somerset in each of the last 10 years, broken down by primary care trust. [135262]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on the number of NHS dentists in Somerset from 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2006 are available in Annex E of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006, which is available in the Library.

The report, published by the information centre for health and social care, is also available at:

Information on the dental work force under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, is published at every quarter by the information centre for health and social care. These data are not comparable with the historical data in the link above. The latest information available is as at 31 December 2006 by the new primary care trusts (PCT) boundaries (PCT boundaries as at 1 October 2006) published on 23 March 2007—NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 3: 31 December 2006 and is available in the Library.

The report, published by The Information Centre for health and social care, is also available at:

Departments: Research

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) to what extent preferences shown by members of the public influence the research priorities set by her Department's research and development division; [132218]

(2) what (a) process and (b) decision-making criteria will be used to set research funding priorities for her Department's research and development division in each of the next three years; and what the timetable is for the setting of those priorities in each year; [132221]

(3) what formula is used to set funding allocations for different medical research specialties for her Department's research and development. [132257]

Caroline Flint: The Department funds National Health Service Research and Development through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Information on the priority setting processes for each NIHR programme is available through the NIHR website at www.nihr.ac.uk. The Government's strategy for health research ‘Best Research for Best Health’ was subject to open public consultation.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the United Kingdom National Screening Committee also act as customers for departmental research, and advisory bodies, research funders groups and topic review groups play a role in identifying research gaps and requirements.

The Department's Policy Research Programme (PRP) commissions research to support the development, implementation and evaluation of policy in public health, health services and adult social care. Priorities for the PRP are determined by the
2 May 2007 : Column 1779W
Department's strategic objectives and public service agreements, and through discussion between officials and with Ministers.

The NIHR national advisory group INVOLVE promotes and supports active public involvement in all aspects of NHS, public health and social care research. Its website (www.invo.org.uk) and its publications give both researchers and the public information and advice on the range of opportunities for such involvement that exist.

More specifically, any individual or organisation can submit a suggestion for consideration by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme. An electronic form is available on the HTA website at www.hta.ac.uk/suggest.

Drugs: Counselling

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in London were referred to (a) counselling and (b) other advice services for help with drug related problems in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) health trust and (ii) borough. [132922]

Caroline Flint: We do not hold data on the numbers of people who were referred for counselling (structured psychosocial interventions) for drug related problems prior to 2003-04.

The following table shows the number of people broken down by Drug Action Team boundaries in London for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 who were referred for counselling (structured psychosocial intervention) for drug related problems in 2003-04. We do not have these figures on a health trust basis.

These figures are based on returns to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System.

We do not collect data on the numbers of people referred to other advice services for drug related problems.


2 May 2007 : Column 1780W

2 May 2007 : Column 1781W
Numbers in structured psychosocial intervention

2003-04

Barking and Dagenham

147

Barnet

14

Bexley

4

Brent

55

Bromley

146

Camden

323

City of London

0

Croydon

95

Ealing

31

Enfield

12

Greenwich

382

Hackney

51

Hammersmith and Fulham

5

Haringey

150

Harrow

2

Havering

147

Hillingdon

274

Hounslow

26

Islington

133

Kensington and Chelsea

10

Kingston upon Thames

41

Lambeth

149

Lewisham

85

Merton

26

Newham

60

Redbridge

28

Richmond upon Thames

14

Southwark

149

Sutton

146

Tower Hamlets

134

Waltham Forest

2

Wandsworth

118

Westminster

36

2004-05

Barking and Dagenham

244

Barnet

162

Bexley

5

Brent

143

Bromley

49

Camden

343

City of London

0

Croydon

178

Ealing

425

Enfield

8

Greenwich

49

Hackney

39

Hammersmith and Fulham

287

Haringey

125

Harrow

4

Havering

194

Hillingdon

188

Hounslow

165

Islington

287

Kensington and Chelsea

141

Kingston upon Thames

101

Lambeth

148

Lewisham

80

Merton

459

Newham

154

Redbridge

215

Richmond upon Thames

216

Southwark

27

Sutton

290

Tower Hamlets

169

Waltham Forest

18

Wandsworth

175

Westminster

251

2005-06

Barking and Dagenham

248

Barnet

149

Bexley

48

Brent

154

Bromley

196

Camden

303

City of London

1

Croydon

72

Ealing

346

Enfield

14

Greenwich

47

Hackney

35

Hammersmith and Fulham

691

Haringey

97

Harrow

98

Havering

89

Hillingdon

183

Hounslow

232

Islington

173

Kensington and Chelsea

94

Kingston upon Thames

67

Lambeth

111

Lewisham

18

Merton

527

Newham

161

Redbridge

77

Richmond upon Thames

244

Southwark

34

Sutton

330

Tower Hamlets

81

Waltham Forest

133

Wandsworth

138

Westminster

174


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