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12 July 2007 : Column 1674W—continued
Nutrition: Fruit and Vegetables
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research has been conducted into the health effects of drinking fruit juice (a) made from concentrate and (b) not made from concentrate; and if he will make a statement; [149214]
(2) what research has been conducted into the health effects of eating (a) pre-packaged, pre-prepared fruit and (b) fresh fruit; and if he will make a statement; [149215]
(3) what research has been conducted into the health effects of eating (a) pre-packaged, pre-prepared salads and (b) freshly made salads; and if he will make a statement. [149216]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government’s advice to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to five portions a day is based on a range of evidence that suggests high intakes may be beneficial in reducing the risk of chronic disease, such as heart disease.
There is no evidence to suggest that there is a difference in the health benefits of fruit, fruit juice and salads prepared in the ways identified. All these sources of fruit and vegetables count towards achieving the 5 a day recommendation, although fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you consume.
Offenders: Drugs
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many offenders (a) in prisons and (b) in the community were receiving treatment for drug or alcohol problems in each of the last five years; [148395]
(2) how many prisoners are waiting to attend (a) alcohol and (b) drug management courses; and what the average waiting time is for a place on each such course. [148396]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of offenders receiving alcohol treatment in prisons or in the community is not collected centrally.
However, the ‘Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project’ (ANARP) published in November 2005 provided the first ever comprehensive picture of alcohol related needs and availability of treatment in England.
ANARP found that in England 1.1 million people are alcohol dependent and estimated that 63,000 people access alcohol treatment each year.
The table shows the numbers of prisoners with a drug problem who engaged subsequently with prison drug treatment services in each of the past five years for which this information is available. Full year figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
| Intensive programme entrants | |||
| Clinical services includes maintenance, detoxification and alcohol detoxification | CARATs (counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare service) initial assessments | Intensive programme entrants | |
| (1) Includes 8,709 by YPSMS (Young People’s Substance Misuse Service for under-18s) Note: Individual prisoners may engage in more than one form of treatment. Source: Ministry of Justice | |||
Information on prisoners waiting for drug or alcohol treatment is not collected centrally.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many detoxifications of prisoners took place in each of the last five years; what the average length of time for detoxification was; and what the average cost was. [148397]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The table shows the number of entrants to prison detoxification and drug maintenance programmes for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06. Full year figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
| Year | Entrants |
| Notes: 1. These data have been extracted from the Prison Service PSimon database (Prison Service Information for Managers Online). 2. These figures aggregate detoxification and extended prescribing programmes. These two interventions will be reported separately from April 2007. 3. Information on the average length of time for detoxification, or on average cost, is not collected centrally. However, in 2006-07, a total of £77.3 million was provided for custodial drug treatment. | |
Reproduction: Legislation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) reference numbers and (b) titles of (i) statutory instruments, (ii) departmental circulars and (iii) other documents distributed direct to (A) primary care trusts and (B) strategic health authorities consequential to the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 since 2005; what action was required in respect of each; and what further documents in these categories he plans to circulate in the next 12 months. [148298]
Dawn Primarolo: The available information for 1 January 2006 onwards is set out as follows:
No statutory instruments, Departmental circulars or documents have been issued by the Department to primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) on the provisions of the Abortion Act.
We will be issuing best practice guidance on reproductive healthcare later this year aimed at commissioners and providers emphasising the need to develop strong links between abortion and contraceptive services.
No statutory instruments, departmental circulars or documents have been issued by the Department to PCTs and SHAs consequential to the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. The Department has no plans to circulate any documents in these categories in the next 12 months.
The Government have undertaken a review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, and published the White Paper ‘Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: Proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)’ in December 2006 (Cm 6989). This was followed by publication of the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill on 17 May 2007. Both documents are available on the Department's website at:
Ritalin
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the trend in the number of Ritalin prescriptions issued; and if he will make a statement; [147501]
(2) what assessment he has made of a general practitioner's powers to increase the dosages of Ritalin for sufferers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder once an initial prescription has been made by a specialist in child psychiatry. [147504]
Dawn Primarolo:
We have no evidence that methylphenidate (Ritalin) is being inappropriately prescribed on a widespread basis. In October 2000, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in a review of the use of methylphenidate
(Ritalin) suggested that a great number of children were missing out on methylphenidate who may benefit from it.
In March 2006, NICE published guidance on the use of all drugs used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They estimated that around 5 per cent. of school-aged children meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, equivalent to 366,000 children and adolescents in England and Wales, but not all these children will require medication.
NICE further recommended that drug treatment for ADHD should only be initiated by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional with expertise in ADHD and should be based on a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. Continued prescribing and monitoring of drug treatment may be performed by general practitioners, under shared care arrangements. Drug therapy should only be part of a comprehensive treatment programme that includes advice and support to parents and teachers.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), of 12 June 2007, Official Report, column 1008W, on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, what the composition is of the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group. [147464]
Dawn Primarolo: I am pleased to announce the membership of the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group (PRLOG). The chair of the Group is Ken Jarrold CBE, a director of Dearden Consulting, who has made a significant contribution as a senior manager in the national health service over many years. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officers of the four United Kingdom Health Departments are members—Dr. Keith Ridge (Department of Health), Professor Bill Scott (Scottish Executive Health Department), Ms Carwen Wynne-Howell (Welsh Assembly Government) and Dr. Norman Morrow (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland). Mr. Hemant Patel, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and Mr. Raymond Anderson, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, are also members. Professor Peter Noyce, who provided advice on professional matters to Lord Carter’s working party on pharmacy professional regulation and leadership, will be the professional adviser to the PRLOG.
In addition, other members of the PRLOG include:
Ms Tracey Boyce, a senior hospital pharmacist in Northern Ireland.
Ms Judith Cope, Chief Pharmacist at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust and honorary senior lecturer, the School of Pharmacy, University of London.
Professor Duncan Craig, Head of Pharmacy and Chair in Pharmaceutics at the University of East Anglia School of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy.
Mr. Robert Darracott, the Chief Executive of the Company Chemists Association.
Ms Jennifer de Val, President of the British Pharmacy Students Association, and a junior hospital pharmacist.
Mr. Stephen Griffin, Director of Personnel and Development at the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust.
Professor Mayur Lakhani CBE, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Mr. Christopher Martin, who is active as a pharmacist and as an independent community pharmacy owner in Wales.
Ms Fiona Price, a pharmacy technician, based in Cardiff, Wales.
Mr. Duncan Rudkin, the Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Dental Council, and a former solicitor.
Professor Michael Schofield CBE, a former lay member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, who also has wide experience of the NHS.
Mr. James Semple, managing director of the TLC Pharmacy Group, which provides community pharmacy services in central Scotland.
Ms Rosie Varley OBE, Acting Chairman of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and Chairman of the General Optical Council.
I have asked the PRLOG to provide advice to Ministers on effective action to establish a new regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and to identify how leadership within the pharmacy profession can support the GPhC’s regulatory role. In doing so, the group will take into account broader action for regulatory reform set out in the White Paper, “Trust, Assurance and Safety—the Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century”.
Social Services: Finance
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the adult social care budget was for (a) England and (b) Shropshire in each year since 2002-03. [147706]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information on the adult social care budget is not available. Data for the combined social care budget for both children and adults are shown in the following table.
| Budgeted social services expenditure for Shropshire and England between 2002-03 and 2007-08 | ||
| £ 000 | ||
| Shropshire | England | |
Supermarkets: Labelling
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with major supermarkets labelling food packing with larger type of pricing and ingredients for the elderly and the visually impaired. [148790]
Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency is the Department responsible for food labelling. Label clarity is one of a range of issues on which the Agency is in regular contact with key stakeholders, including retailers.
European Union food labelling legislation, which is currently subject to review, requires that labelling information should be easy to understand, clearly legible, indelible and easily visible. In addition to legislative requirements, the Agency has produced guidance on clear food labelling, which takes into account the needs of the visually impaired by suggesting a minimum font size. This guidance is being revised and will shortly be issued for public consultation.
Price information is covered by the Price Marking Order 2004. This requires that price indications must be clearly legible, unambiguous and easily identifiable. The Agency has received no representations that consumers find such information difficult to read.
Water: Schools
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to review and access the provision of water in schools following his Department's Food in Schools Water Provision project. [148032]
Dawn Primarolo: The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 require that a school “shall have a wholesome supply of water for domestic purposes including a supply of drinking water”. The new nutritional standards for school food require that drinking water is provided free of charge to registered pupils. Chilled water is not a requirement of the standards.
We are investing close to £500 million between 2005 and 2011 to assist authorities and schools in improving school food and drink. Ofsted will be monitoring schools’ approaches to healthier eating as part of their regular inspections of schools.
Providing free drinking water and meeting the new nutritional standards are key criteria under the healthy eating theme of the National Healthy Schools Programme. We have set a target for all schools to be working towards Healthy School Status by 2009.
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